AWARDS AND HONORS
2024 Emmy award: Outstanding Soft Feature Story: Long Form
Emmy Award winner for "It Happened Here -- A Year in Uvalde," awarded by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
2024 emmy award: Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage
Emmy Award winner for "Rap Trap: Hip Hop on Trial," awarded by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
2024 NAHJ Ñ AWARD: TV/Online Video
2nd place, GMA3: "Survivors of Uvalde school shooting honored," awarded by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
2024 SOCAL JOURNALISM AWARD: Online, Soft News Feature
1st place, Stephanie Mendez, ABC News: "Family of Uvalde student survivor documents healing process, challenges: Reporter's notebook," awarded by the LA Press Club
2024 SOCAL JOURNALISM AWARD: TELEVISION, HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE (UNDER 5 MINS)
1st place, Stephanie Mendez & María Elena Salinas, GMA3: "Survivors of Uvalde school shooting honored," awarded by the LA Press Club
2024 SOCAL JOURNALISM AWARD: Multimedia Package, All Media
3rd place, Stephanie Mendez, ABC News: "'I have to cling on': Teacher who survived Uvalde shooting returns to teaching despite trauma endured," awarded by the LA Press Club
2024 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award Finalist
DuPont-Columbia finalist for Uvalde 365: A Year in the Community
2024 Women of Distinction Award
Awarded by State of California Legislature Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal and the 69th Assembly District
2023 Latina Journalist of the Year
Awarded by the California Chicano News Media Association/Latino Journalists
2023 Ruben Salazar Award: TV/Radio
Awarded by the California Chicano News Media Association/Latino Journalists for ABC News, GMA3: "Survivors of Uvalde school shooting honored"
2023 Most Influential Latina Journalist
Awarded by the California Chicano News Media Association/Latino Journalists
2023 Front Page Award: Documentary
Awarded by The Newswomen's Club of New York for 20/20's "It Happened Here—One Year in Uvalde"