Announcing the 2024 NPR College Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions
It’s a wrap! The fourth annual NPR College Podcast Challenge received nearly 300 entries from students in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia.
Back in March, we announced our 10 finalist entries, and last month, we shared the lovely story of Jo Strogatz, grand prize winner of the 2024 contest.
Beyond these entries, though, we also received 11 podcasts that that our judges thought had a strong story to tell. Here are the honorable mentions:
Adopted & Unspoken by Emily Cowherd
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.
Gaining Voice – A Teen’s Journey Navigating Mental Health and the Model Minority Myth by Lauren Tran-Muchowski, Sabrina Taing and Lindsay Lazarski
Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn.
Immigration: The Strengthening of Character by Alejandra Quiroz
Miami Dade College, Miami, Fla.
Leaky Promises by Violet Mendelsund, Pippa Tsuki Carlson and Adrien Wheaton-Schopp
Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
My Roommate’s Scandal by Aidan Keen
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.
One of the Good Ones by Malcolm Bamba and LaRob K. Rafael
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio
PUGE: A new gospel choir with a long history by Isabel Jacobson, Maya Mukherjee, Theo Wells-Spackman and Vitus Larrieu
Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
The Cost of El Sueño by Lia Portillo, Isabel Juarez Rubio, Natalie Mathews, Atziary Perez, Valentina Puac, Allison Florez Bermudez and Juliana Nobles
Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La.
Unrepresented: The complicated history of the 33 million missing votes in the 2024 election by Arundathi Nair
Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
Vinyl by Samantha Neiss
Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato, Minn.
What Stays With – Unforgettable Words by Juliana Mills, Jeffery Salinas, Kristine Mendoza, Kari Can, Evan Laurino and Victoria Mills
San Diego City College, San Diego, Calif.
Congratulations everyone! Thanks again for sharing your stories with us. We loved listening to every minute of them, and we hope to hear from you again this fall.
NPR’s College Podcast Challenge will return Fall of 2025. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates. You can reach us at [email protected].
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
Defense Department is reviewing boat strike video for possible release, Hegseth says
In a speech on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying: "President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation's interests."
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins first F1 title at season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.
A ban on feeding pigeons ruffles lots of feathers in Mumbai
The pigeon population has exploded — a result of people feeding the birds. For some it's a holy duty and a way to connect to nature. Critics point to health risks tied to exposure to pigeon droppings.
UN humanitarian chief: world needs to ‘wake up’ and help stop violence in Sudan
The UN's top humanitarian and emergency relief official has told NPR that the lack of attention from world leaders to the war in Sudan is the "billion dollar question".

