Many of assistant professor Marcie Young Cancio’s students probably don’t know she recently received a national award from the College Media Association for her work as a faculty adviser for Salt Lake Community College’s student-run news organization, The Globe.
CMA, an organization that represents the advisors of college media programs around the country, recognized Young Cancio under the category of Honor Roll Advisor, which is awarded to an advisor with fewer than five years of experience in college media advising.
On its website, the CMA lists criteria for what an exemplary advisor is, specifically noting they are “intentional about diversity and inclusion, urges students to develop a commitment to the ethical and professional values of journalism, and helps students see value in their works.”
Before she joined SLCC as faculty in the fall of 2018, Young Cancio drew accolades as a working journalist. She’s been the managing editor of the ABC station in San Francisco, won an Emmy as a field and digital reporter for television breaking news on the story of the shooting of Police Officer Doug Barney in 2016, and won two first place awards for feature magazine writing from the Society of Professional Journalists, according to her website.
Young Cancio’s most recent endeavor has been the founding of Amplify Utah, a media literacy organization whose objective is to broaden the existing media landscape to include more diverse perspectives. The nonprofit’s first project is a partnership between The Salt Lake Tribune and Salt Lake Community College, providing an avenue for journalism students to publish their stories.
With such a depth of knowledge, Young Cancio remains appreciative and focused.
“I’ve been super lucky to have incredible mentors in my life,” she said. “I’ve been lucky to work with people who want to see me succeed, and that’s who I want to be for my students. My job is to encourage, coach, defend and create access and opportunity.”
At SLCC, Young Cancio teaches Journalism and Media Writing, Media and Society, Public Relations, Visual Communication, and in the summer, Elements of Effective Communication.
“It’s nice to be able to be taught by someone who knows what they’re doing,” Jennifer Grace, a communications major, said of Young Cancio. “Being taught by an expert in the field with lots of experience is helpful because she’s able to provide examples of what has actually worked, rather than made up scenarios that could happen.”
Morgan Workman, editor-in-chief of The Globe, says: “I feel like every week she makes a point to remind us that we are journalists, and there is no difference between the Globe staff asking a question to someone important and someone from The New York Times. She doesn’t make us feel beneath her; she treats us like professionals.”
