Two student journalists remain national finalists for the 2009 Mark of Excellence Awards announced by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Both students are finalists in their category alongside two other candidates.

Senior Julieta Chiquillo was named a finalist in the feature writing category for a profile of economics professor Kiril Tochkov published in the Daily Skiff March 2009. Chiquillo was editor in chief of the Daily Skiff for the spring semester.

Ronald Villegas, a graphic arts major who graduated in 2009, was named a finalist in the photo illustration category for his illustration that accompanied an article on the popularity in use of salvia, a legal hallucinogenic drug sold over the counter. Villegas, a former photo and design editor for Image Magazine, was first-place winner in the national Best of Collegiate Design, sponsored by College Media Advisers, Inc., in the headline presentation category earlier this year and an honorable mention award from the Associated Collegiate Press in the yearbook/magazine page/spread category in the 2009 Design of the Year.

The SPJ winners and finalists received recognition by receiving first place in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions earlier this year. Each first place regional winner advanced to the national competition. Past first-place winners of the regional MOE Award included former Skiff editor in chief senior David Hall for his online reporting for DailySkiff.com and junior Chris Blake, who will be TCU News Now sports director this fall, for breaking news coverage.

The student journalists will be recognized Monday, Oct. 4, at the Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon during the 2010 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference at The Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas.