StudentCam is C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the competition and we invited middle and high school students to create a short documentary addressing the theme, “Looking Forward while Considering the Past.”
8th grade student Sadie Mersereau from RD and Euzelle Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina won 3rd Prize in our Eastern Division for her documentary, “Growing America: The Sprawling of Our Nation.” As a 3rd prize winner, Sadie will receive $750.
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable and satellite television companies, who also support StudentCam. In Chapel Hill, C-SPAN is available locally through Spectrum.
“For two decades, StudentCam has provided a platform for students across the country to share their voice on issues important to them and their communities,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs for Spectrum. “Like this year’s winning students, Spectrum is committed to strengthening the cities and towns where we live and work, and we congratulate Sadie on this outstanding achievement in C-SPAN’s 2024 StudentCam competition.”
More Information:
- Press Release: Chapel Hill Students Win Prizes in C-SPAN’s National Video Documentary Competition (Google Doc)
StudentCam 2024 Third Prize Middle School: "Growing America: The Sprawling of Our Nation"
Congratulatory Messages and Recognition

C-SPAN Founder Brian Lamb and co-President Susan Swain present the trio with a Certificate of Special Recognition
Written by studentcam
Recent Posts
- 2026 3rd Prize Middle School Division – “Our Future Protectors: The Civil Military Gap” by Chelsea Chen
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Western Division – “The Modern Ethnic Struggle” by Audrey Cheung, Matthew Dinh, & Racko Lee Cabunoc
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Eastern Division – “The Uncounted Voice: Youth, Democracy, & the Ballot Box” by Salem Safadi, Samuel Evans, & Sergio Ortiz Lugo
- 2026 3rd Prize High School Central Division – “Life, Liberty, and the Zip Code” by Rehan Mathew Koshy
- 2026 3rd Prize Middle School Division – “The Writer’s Declaration: 148 Days To Save Hollywood, about the WGA strike of 2023″ by Josie Connor & Mia Martin