Sara Meadows
NEWS EDITOR
Ana Bellinghausen has been named as the Outstanding Journalism and Media Communication Student at UNO.
Bellinghausen was nominated by two of her professors; she was unaware of other nominees and was not informed on how the voting would be done.
She has shined through her hard work, determination, drive and creativity.
“It means the world to receive this award,” Bellinghausen said. “To be thought of as one of the best students to come out of this department of UNO means so much because I’ve put in so many hours to get here.”
Bellinghausen was involved in sports her entire life, whether it was softball, basketball, track or any other sport that she could get involved in.
“I always say that I consumed a lot more ESPN than Disney Channel growing up,” said Bellinghausen.
Her passion for sports is what led her to a degree in journalism. In 2019, Bellinghausen first started her involvement on campus through MavRadio.FM as a reporter, where she would record videos and conduct interviews with athletes and fans.
When Bellinghausen first got into sports journalism at UNO, it felt like she was the only girl there. But when she texted her friend Avarie Howard about starting the Women in Media Club, everything changed.
“I started the Women in Media Club for women to feel like they have a place and a voice,” said Bellinghausen.
Bellinghausen is the co-founder and president of the Women in Media Club, which started in 2020 during the peak of quarantine when sports were nowhere to be found.
“I didn’t want to feel like I was wasting any time on improving myself and improving those around me, and what better way to do it than to start a club and make a difference right on campus?” said Bellinghausen.
Currently, Bellinghausen works for several places, including the Omaha Sports Commission, freelance work for UNO, BIG EAST Digital Network, Nebraska Public Media and USA Curling.
“I like to describe it as — if there is a sporting event in Omaha, I’m most likely at it and I’m most likely working, whether that’s behind the scenes or in front of a camera,” said Bellinghausen.
