The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recognized Holy Cross Magazine with a record 15 awards for best overall magazine, writing and photography.
In May, Holy Cross Magazine earned three awards in CASE's 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards, an annual international competition recognizing outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing by colleges, universities, independent schools and affiliated nonprofits. This year, 493 winners were chosen from 4,185 entries representing 33 countries.
Holy Cross Magazine took three writing awards for the stories "Why Is It So Hard Just to Dream?", "Swimming Beyond Fear" and "A Life Full of Yeses."
"Why Is It So Hard Just to Dream" won a coveted Grand Gold Award in the category of Writing, Column or Opinion Piece. An accepted international student's first-person account of her visa appointment being cancelled and her enrollment deferred, the column was the only entry in its category to receive a Grand Gold Award, one of the highest honors given in the competition and the first such award in the College's history. Judges said this "raw and emotional piece pulled at our heartstrings by sharing a young woman’s personal experiences. Readers can relate to and learn from this powerful voice that deserves to be heard."
"Swimming Beyond Fear," a profile of Laurie Craigen '99 who completed a solo swim across the English Channel to raise $16,000 in funding for the Alzheimer's awareness nonprofit EndAlz.org, also earned high praise from judges who called it a "beautifully written and deeply heartwarming piece that captures how a woman faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles and ultimately overcame her fear. This piece is sure to hit deep emotional chords for some readers!"
Of "A Life Full of Yeses," which examined the long-term impact of beloved late Professor Emeritus of English Edward F. Callahan, the judges wrote: "Judges all agreed, a beautiful tribute to a meaningful professor. While no one on the panel attended this institution, judges could imagine what sitting in this professor's classroom must have felt like for alumni."
In October, the three stories received an additional honor, Best of District I, in a competition comprising North Atlantic American and Canadian colleges and universities. Holy Cross Magazine won an overall Best of District I Award. Additionally, the following stories and photography entries received recognition:
- HC Gave Art Students $10,000 and a Mission: By Art
- Caroline Quinn Can Only Eat Two Foods (2 awards)
- Frank Kartheiser is Comfortable with Your Discomfort
- Laurie Craigen '99 portrait
- A Second Chance Around the Corner
- A Liberal Arts Approach to Life
- Meet Dr. No
The College's Office of Marketing, Communications & Public Affairs also earned a Circle of Excellence Award and a Best of Division I Award for its video "A Day Out in Worcester." Judges said they enjoyed the College's take on the "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" concept and "the creative approach to showcasing the city and campus experience."
