Former Epitaph adviser wins highest journalism honor

Nick Ferentinos honored at JEA convention in Seattle

By Noor Baig, Shauli Bar-On, , and |April 9, 2017

Adviser Natalie Owsley presents the Carl Towley award to Dina Ferentinos. Photo courtesy of Edmond Kwong

The Journalism Education Association (JEA) posthumously awarded former Epitaph adviser Nick Ferentinos the Carl Towley award yesterday in the annual JEA spring convention.

The award, the highest honor a journalism adviser qualifies for, was presented by current advisor Natalie Owsley and was received by Ferentinos’ wife, Dina Ferentinos at the convention in Seattle, Washington.

Ferentinos was an English teacher at HHS from 1965 to 2000, the advisor for The Epitaph from 1976 to 1994 and founded the HHS American Studies program.

After Ferentinos was diagnosed with cancer in late 2015, Owsley nominated him for the Carl Towley award, backed by dozens of fellow JEA members and former students.

Soon after, hundreds of Ferentinos’ former students submitted letters about how he had impacted their lives. The letters were bound into two books and gifted to Ferentinos before he passed on Jan. 25 last year.

Members of The Epitaph’s editorial board who knew Nick in his last year of mentorship were among the audience of the convention.
Photo courtesy of Edmond Kwong.
Nick Ferentinos’ wife, Dina accepts the award on his behalf.
Photo courtesy of Edmond Kwong.
Adviser Natalie Owsley speaks about Nick Ferentinos and presents his wife, Dina Ferentinos to accept the award.
Photo courtesy of Edmond Kwong.