(AUSTIN) — The Press Women of Texas (PWT) recently announced that Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, won 53 awards in its 2023 Professional Communication Contest. Established in 1893, the statewide and nationally affliated organization champions First Amendment rights, supports women in communication and provides college scholarships.

The senator’s winning entries included 24 first-place, 13 second-place, 8 third- place and 8 honorable mentions in myriad categories ranging from speech writing to photography. Her 24 first-place entries advanced to the highly-anticipated National Federation of Press Women’s contest, where she won another 17 awards, namely, five first-place awards, three second-place, five third-place and four honorable mentions.

"I am delighted to receive these awards from the esteemed PWT, of which I have been a proud member since 1973," Senator Zaffirini said. "Their recognition is especially appreciated because it reflects my longstanding commitment to upholding the highest standards of communication, particularly in my capacity as a legislator."

Of the more than 1,200 awards she has won for her legislative, professional and civic leadership, more than 600 are in communication, including this year’s 53 state and 17 national awards.

Senator Zaffirini holds Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts and PhD degrees in communication from The University of Texas at Austin, where she worked at The Daily Texan as a reporter, feature writer, copy editor, headline writer, assistant editor and special issue editor. In 2003 The University of Texas at Austin named her a Distingushed Alumna, and in 2016 the university’s Moody College of Communication named her its Oustanding Alumna. What’s more, in 2013 she received the Presidential Citation, the highest honor bestowed by The University of Texas.

Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, is an award-winning communication specalist representing Texas Senate District 21. She has received more than 600 awards for her outstanding communication projects, including 53 in this year's Press Women of Texas Professional Communication Contest and 17 in the national contest.

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