During his time at Powell High School, Nathan Feller developed a penchant for journalism, reporting and serving as editor in chief of The Prowl. After graduation, he decided that journalism was going to play a huge part in his collegiate experience. The success he has found at Black Hills State University with the magazine “Ponder” is nothing short of inspiring.
Q: When did you start exploring journalism?
A: I got my start in journalism when I joined the Prowl staff at the beginning of my sophomore year in 2020. The previous year, I was recruited by former Prowl adviser Vin Cappiello.
Q: Has it always been easy for you, or was it hard at some point?
A: My first semester on staff was a little rocky. I struggled to live up to the expectations set by Cap and the editorial staff at the time.
Q: Was it always difficult, or did it get easier as the year went on?
A: By my second semester on staff, I was named sports editor. And third, I was associate editor. And in the spring of 2022, I was named editor in chief.
Nathan and his friends, fellow Prowl reporters Austin Graft, Taylor SanFilippo and Hunter Davis headed off to Black Hills State, where they discovered the journalism program was floundering. Together, they applied their previous knowledge and experience to revive the program with the help of supportive professors.
Q: What was life like after you graduated?
A: After I graduated, I enrolled at Black Hills State, where I met my current advisor, Dr. Justin Bergh.
Q: Do you think that journalism had a good impact or a negative impact?
A: My experience with journalism so far has been profoundly life-changing. So it had a positive impact on my life.
Those positive impacts have materialized in the form of national awards and big-city opportunities. Feller has won the prestigious Ernie Pyle Human Interest Profile Award, as well as accolades from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), taking 2nd place in Profile Story for ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off” in their National Student Magazine Competition. Ponder garnered 1st Place for Best Magazine – National Award, Divison II, with the College Media Association at the 2025 David L. Adams Apple Awards in New York City.
Q: Do you think others should take journalism or anything in that field?
A: I definitely don’t think it would hurt. Obviously, not everyone wants to be a journalist or a writer, but journalism is how people get their news, and it’s how a lot of information is shared. I think it’s important for everyone to have an understanding of what journalism actually is and how it works.
Q: Did you learn any new life skills when you took journalism?
A: Yes, of course! It’s taught me to stay curious. After all the stories I’ve written, I’ve learned that there’s often more to the story than you think. A persistently curious journalism is how you get some of the greatest stories ever written, and curiosity is one of the greatest tools for anyone.
