From the Nominator

"When Joel Bervell first came to our attention, we knew the third-year medical student would make a great profile for Washington State University’s news website WSU Insider. At the time, he was a rising TikTok star, but we knew many in our primary audience of faculty and staff might not realize how popular his advocacy efforts were becoming.  

In highlighting racial bias in medicine through clever, informative TikTok videos, Bervell embodies our medical school’s mission to solve problems in challenging health care environments. He chose to attend WSU in part because it is one of the only medical schools named after a Black man: the university’s former president, the late Elson S. Floyd. When he enrolled, Bervell was one of two Black medical students, but he’s been working to recruit more underrepresented students to study medicine ever since. On top of this, it was Black History Month, and Bervell not only presented a great Black student to profile, but also used his platform to feature moments in Black history.   

Our article helped propel Bervell’s message further, drawing attention of regional and national news outlets, including the NBC Today Show, Scientific American and MSN.com. It has more than 4,500 page views on WSU Insider and has been shared repeatedly on social media.  

Bervell continues to engage people and was recently invited to the White House. His work created this ongoing success, but we’re proud to have supported him with this article and to have him as a WSU student."

From the Judges

“WSU student fights racial bias one TikTok at a time” received high praise from the judge pool for its excellent execution of a profile piece. The choice of profile subject was deemed to be great, and the piece was highly motivating. The angle of the article was unique and intriguing, with strong writing and inclusion of a quote from a faculty member. The article resonated with multiple generations, making it interesting and compelling.