Cowley alumnus wins KAB Award

Clinton Willis, a 2016 graduate of Cowley College and current student at Kansas State University, was recently named the recipient of a Kansas Association of Broadcasters Award.

Willis, the son of Mulvane Center Natural Science Department instructor David Hays, won the award for his work on the music video for the band Witch Jail.

The band stopped by 91.9 KSDB, K-State’s student-run radio station in which Willis is the Classroom Series Director, to play a few songs. Willis not only filmed the band but edited the footage to make the music video.

Willis was surprised to learn of the award.

“It was one of the few times I was happy to be waken up at 8 a.m.,” Willis said. “I was asleep when I got a text telling me about my win. I am glad I can leave K-State with an award for my work on the Classroom Series.”

At KSDB Willis is in charge of filming and producing music videos that take place at the station featuring bands from Lawrence, Kansas City, and Wichita.

While at Cowley, Willis was involved in the Media Club, Art Club, and the Cowley Sports Network. While serving as the ad manager for The Cowley Press, Willis received a Kansas Collegiate Media Award for one of his ad designs. He also received an Honorable Mention Award at the 47th Smoky Hill Art Exhibition for a painting he did while in Mark Flickinger’s class.

“Meg Smith and Mark Flickinger helped me find the things I am passionate about doing,” Willis said.

Willis also worked on the student broadcasts at Cowley and served an internship at KAKE News.

The advertising major said Cowley prepared him for Kansas State by making him more organized to handle upper level classes and gave him a foundation in video production.

“I will always look back at Cowley with fond memories. I made wonderful friends with both students and faculty,” Willis said. “It was at Cowley that I built a foundation in video production. It was also at Cowley that I found my love for oil painting, I would give up advertising and video production in a hot Texas minute to be a professional oil painter.”

Willis plans to graduate from K-State in August and wants to work in either Kansas City, Austin, or Tulsa doing video production work.

“I also wouldn’t mind getting back to painting and get that going full time,” Willis said.