Published on: November 24th, 2025

Hillsdale in D.C. Fellows, Students, and Alumni Awarded Prizes at Annual Dao Prize for Excellence in Journalism

WASHINGTON, D.C.--On Wednesday, November 19th, the National Journalism Center, an offshoot of Young America’s Foundation, held their annual Dao Prize for Excellence in Journalism award ceremony. Two Hillsdale College alumni, Reagan Reese and Tyler O’Neil, won awards, Van Andel Graduate School of Government student Katelynn Richardson won first runner-up and Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale in D.C. Mollie Hemingway won first place for the prestigious Dao grand prize.

Reagan Reese and her coworker at The Daily Caller were named finalists for Best Multimedia Reporting for their print and video work on “The Abbey Gate Survivor.”

Tyler O’Neil at The Daily Signal was dubbed finalist for Best “DOGE” Reporting for his series entitled “Your Money, Their Agenda: The Left’s Taxpayer-Funded War on Trump.”

Richardson and her colleague Meg Brock at The Daily Caller published a series entitled, “The Biden Administration’s War on Parents.” Richardson commented, “This series has to be the most important story I've had the chance to share.”

Hemingway and her team at The Federalist won the 2025 Dao Grand Prize for Investigative Journalism of $100,000 for their coverage on the Russia collusion hoax. Many congratulated Hemingway and her team, including Vice President JD Vance, who tweeted out that the award was “well deserved.”

Read more about the Dao prizes and finalists.

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About Hillsdale in D.C.

Hillsdale in D.C. is an extension of the teaching mission of Hillsdale College to Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to teach the Constitution and the principles that give it meaning. Through the study of original source documents from American history—and of older books that formed the education of America’s founders—it seeks to inspire students, teachers, citizens, and policymakers to return the America’s principles to their central place in the political life of the nation.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 5.7 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.