Nolan D. McCaskill accepted the Young Journalist of Excellence Award on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 at the Washington Association of Black Journalists’ inaugural Special Honors Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. McCaskill is a congressional reporter at the Los Angeles Times and a 2014 SJGC alumnus.
The awards ceremony capped a week in which he shook hands with outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and greeted President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House.
His acceptance speech highlighted multiple Rattlers, including Dr. Valerie White, who encouraged him to change his major from graphic design to journalism in 2011.
“When I think about great journalism and journalists, I think about the big stories, the scoops, the viral tweets, the TV appearances,” McCaskill said. “But when I think about excellence in journalism, I think about people who create opportunities for others who then pay it forward. So I want to use my time on stage tonight to highlight a few people who exemplify Black excellence and are the reason I’m standing up here tonight.”
