Several unbiased third parties have said I’m pretty good at what I do. 

TLDR: I've won over 30 awards since 2011 :)

2022: News coverage 

In July, the North Star Reporter (a weekly newspaper in my hometown North Attleboro, Mass.) asked to interview me about my newly published children's book, "Strange Wild Beings."

 

2021: EforAll 

I was accepted into EforAll's winter 2021 cohort, which is an entrepreneur mentorship program (basically an accelerated "business degree" — in only 12 weeks)

👉 55 small businesses applied
👉 25 got interviewed
👉 12 made it through

As part of the program, I was awarded three recognitions over the following year:

• fourth place in the first-round Awards Ceremony (March 2021), to go toward my website (you're lookin' at it!)
• first place in the third-round awards (October 2021), to go toward publishing my first book
• a bonus in the fourth-round awards (December 2021)

2018: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

This year I landed second place for Infographics (below left). The Herald News staff also nabbed first place in the Racial Issues category, including a layout I did (below right).

2017: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

Just to mix things up, this year I branched out from my usual layout design submissions, and entered my stepmomming column, which I’d begun writing in May 2017. For my first year going in as a writer, I was really excited to get third place! There were a few other recognitions, too (in this article).

• Humor Columnist: Third Place
• Infographics: Second and Third Place
• Lifestyle Page: Third Place

2016: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

This was a good year: THREE first places and a second place. (And a big smile.) So says this article. I also wrote a blog post about the story behind the designs.

• Front Page: First Place
• Food Page: First Place
• Infographic: First Place
• Illustration: Second Place

2016: Best of GateHouse

This contest is open to everyone in my company, with newspapers across the country.

• Designer of the Year: First Place (Taunton Daily Gazette)
• Designer of the Year: Second Place (Herald News)
• Special Section/Niche: First Place for “Lens” magazine (Herald News)
• Lifestyle Page/Section: Third Place (Herald News)

2015: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

I took home a first place in the Front Page category, plus a couple of others, as mentioned in this Herald News article.

• Front Page: First Place
• Infographics: Second and Third Place
• Niche Publication: Third Place

2013: MacGregor Fiske Award

I won the inaugural year of the competition, which is open to journalists throughout New England with less than five years’ experience. Unlike the NENPA contests, in this I was up against competitors from all aspects of journalism — not just design. Entrants are judged by three examples of published work, a written essay and supervisor’s nomination.

2013: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

• Living Page or Section: Second Place (Taunton Daily Gazette)
• Overall Design and Presentation: Second Place (The Herald News)
• Living Page or Section: Honorable Mention (The Herald News)

2013: Designer of the Year, Best of GateHouse

Judges’ Comments: “Strong centerpieces capitalize on compelling images, including effective use of shaded background images. Pages carry a lot of content effectively — without being overwhelming to the reader. If I were walking past the rack carrying these papers, I’d buy them.”

2012: Designer of the Year, Best of GateHouse

Judges’ Comments: “This designer uses strong photos, pull quotes, cutouts and big type to draw attention to A1 centerpieces. There’s no way a reader could avoid being drawn into these stories.”

2012: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

“This is a well-deserved recognition for the hard work and creativity I see on display every single day.” — Lynne Sullivan, editor in chief of the Taunton Daily Gazette and The Herald News, in an article

• Illustration: First Place
• Overall Design and Presentation: Second Place
• Front Page: Second Place
• Infographics: Second Place

2011: Designer of the Year, Best of GateHouse

Judges’ Comments: “Emely’s pages are interesting and engaging. Great use of images, color and type to create dynamic centerpieces.”

2011: NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition

• Living Page or Section: First Place