Hayley Knight ('19) and senior Kaarthik Tharmiya made an A on their documentary production class assignment -- and it won a statewide award.

Their film Boots, Beer and Baseball: The Story of Nocona captured the True Texas Travel Experience documentary category award at Denton's Thin Line Fest, a prize sponsored by Texas Highways magazine. The documentary tells the story of the Nocona-based brewery that not only makes beer, but also boasts a boot and ball glove factory.

"We were inspired to make the film due to the sheer uniqueness of what we had found in a small Texas town in the middle of nowhere," Tharmiya says.

He expects to finish his media arts degree in 2020 and wants to pursue a career in film and music production. Knight works as video editor for MarketScale, a Dallas marketing company.

"I enjoy making documentaries because I love being able to capture real-life events and help people tell their stories," Knight says. "There is just so much passion and honesty that goes into making documentaries."