LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington high schooler was honored for winning third prize in C-SPAN’s StudentCam; a video documentary competition for students in middle and high school.
Zoey Washington, an 11th grader at Eastside Technical Center, was one of 3,200 students to enter from 42 states and Washington D.C.
Washington wants to be an attorney and one day a judge. It’s why the topic of her film for C-SPANS’s StudentCam competition was titled “Balancing the Scales: Race and the Criminal Justice System.” It explored a lack of people of color as attorneys and judges in Lexington.
“I think everything really just starts with awareness and if we’re not aware of the problem, then we can’t begin to change it or try to fix it,” Washington said.
Washington won third prize with her documentary in the competition. This year students addressed the theme; Looking Forward While Considering the Past. Zoey interviewed Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney Kimberly Baird and Judge Pamela Goodwine, the first Black women in their respective positions.
“They were so eager to help me and so happy to find there’s someone like me that could tackle the issue,” Washington said.
On Tuesday, C-SPAN and Spectrum honored Zoey in front of her family, friends and school district officials.
“I was trying not to cry, and it was so amazing to see so many that support our youth and what we want to talk about,” Washington said.
Michelle Rauch is the media arts teacher at Eastside Technical Center. She says three students from her class entered the competition but is not surprised to see one of them walk away with a prize.
“Even though I had confidence that they could be award winners and I told them they could; to have it actually happen and you put it in those terms of out of thousands of entries. It almost leaves you speechless,” Rauch said.
Washington and other students in Rauch’s class learn to use their voice and tell stories through still imagery, podcasting and documentaries.
“No matter what you do, you will take the skills from this class; they are communication skills; written, oral, visual, you use those skills not only in your professional life but our personal life,” Rauch said.
“It really was a process, but it was very rewarding,” Washington said.
For winning third prize, she took home $750. The Kentucky Senate and House recognized Washington with resolutions, and Mayor Linda Gorton’s office declared April 30, “Zoey Washington Day.”
C-SPAN’s StudentCam competition is in its 20th year. The network partners with its cable providing partners, including Spectrum to field entries across the country.
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