From the Nominator

"Guor Maker has spent his life running, facing adversity that few Iowa Staters can imagine. He's also had an athletic career of which few can dream. 

When Maker shared his refugee story—including his experience representing Iowa State as a student-athlete and the university's role in his journey to both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games—at a small lecture on campus, alumni association staff couldn't hold back their tears or their amazement in the strength of this Cyclone. We recognized that Maker had sacrificed privacy and peace of mind to share his story through interviews and his "Runner" documentary. His inspirational story needed to be shared because, as Maker said, "Why did I do the documentary in the first place? It was to change people, to make people learn about the struggle we are going through. Not just in the corner of South Sudan, but worldwide." 

Staffers rushed to interview Maker before he left campus, researched his background, secured an interview from a past coach, gathered visual components, and analyzed all these pieces to put together a comprehensive profile of Maker's journey from South Sudan. Utilizing the reach of our alumni association magazine VISIONS, Maker's words and work were able to reach 35,000 alumni association members and more through the sharing of the story in e-newsletters, web, and Adobe Spark pages. 

Guor's is a story of resilience that defies belief. It is also a story of hope."

From the Judges

“Runner: Guor Maker” is a testament to the power of storytelling and the impact it can have on readers. The judges were moved by the sensitivity and grace with which the writer shared such a beautiful and inspiring story. It's clear that this piece was carefully crafted, and the condensed format highlights the writer's skill in capturing the essence of a big story in bytes.