LOWELL — A story by former Sun reporter Amaris Castillo won a first place prize Thursday at the Society for Features Journalism’s 2020 Excellence in Features Awards.
The story titled “With every step, joy” centered on Margarita Garcia Lozada and Ismael Rodriguez, a longtime couple known for their daily walks through the Acre and downtown Lowell.
The story won the first place prize in the Short Feature (Division 1) category, the features journalism organization announced on Twitter Thursday.
It was published in the print edition of The Sun on June 20, 2019.
“I am thrilled to learn my story about Margarita and Ismael placed first and I’m grateful to the judges and to the Society for Features Journalism for this honor,” Castillo said Thursday. “This was one of my favorite stories from my time at The Sun and an example of what happens when you literally chase after a story, especially one from an underrepresented group.”
Visuals that complemented Castillo’s story were shot by Sun veteran Photojournalist Julia Malakie.
Castillo said she first noticed the senior Puerto Rican couple walking in her first months at The Sun, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2019 that she decided they could have an interesting story.
She noticed Margarita and Ismael walking down Broadway Street one day, parked her car, and ran after them to introduce herself.
They agreed to a story and Castillo approached her editor, Christopher Scott, about her idea.
“I appreciate Chris for his trust in me, in telling what is really a feature story with no real tie to hard news,” she said. “As a local news reporter and the only Latina in the newsroom at the time, it was important for me to seek stories about everyday people, particularly people of color. I am glad I was given that space at The Sun, and am cheering on the current staff from afar.”
In the story, Castillo described Margarita’s “barely 5-foot frame ambling behind her walker, her grey hair hidden under a plain red cap,” and Ismael as “a giant alongside her with his confident gait and neck draped in gold chains and a beaded rosary.”
Judges had this comment on Castillo’s story: This story is lovely, and we continue to be astonished by its dual nature: simple yet complex. It is the story of two people walking, but it is so much more. We learn about a lifetime of love and obstacles and heartache in a relatively short read. There is nothing sappy or cloying in this piece. It just is. It made my heart ache, and it made my heart soar. It’s a gift.”
Castillo, who also covered Dracut and Tyngsboro for the newspaper, left The Sun in September 2019, when she and her family returned to Florida to be closer to family.
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July 10, 2020 at 07:40PM
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Story by former Sun reporter wins top award - Lowell Sun
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