Special to the Reporter

Mercer Island High School’s KMIH broadcast media student Mia Tamarkin was named a winner in the 2024 NPR Student Podcast Challenge Honorable Mention awards that were announced on Oct. 24.

Tamarkin’s work was chosen from nearly 2,000 entries in the National Public Radio contest. Her podcast, titled “Flipping the ‘For You Page’: TikTok’s Ownership Rethinked,” explored the proposal to ban TikTok in the United States and included an interview with U.S. Congressman Adam Smith.

The school’s broadcast media instructor Natalie Woods says Tamarkin’s accomplishment with this story goes beyond the award: “Mia showed so much determination throughout the process. She did the research necessary to cover this story, made sure it was the best it could be by getting insight from a lawmaker and pushed herself to sharpen her interview and storytelling skills to produce this award-winning podcast.”

KMIH 88.9 The Bridge is the school’s award-winning radio station. KMIH is focused on elevating and broadcasting student voice and Tamarkin’s award is an example of how audio storytelling can be used to explore a national issue affecting teenagers in the community.

“I’ve truly learned so much beyond just learning the basics of broadcasting, and have in fact (been taught) skills that will be useful for the rest of my life. I’ve learned how to harness creativity and apply it to a cause,” Tamarkin told the Reporter.

You can listen to her podcast and others at www.npr.org/2024/10/24/nx-s1-5126648/student-podcast-challenge-2024-honorable-mentions