College of Charleston Student Wins National Film Contest

^{Photos by © Steven E. Gross, Courtesy of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation 2026 Film Contest}

Rising College of Charleston senior Jakob Highducheck hit the red carpet in Chicago this June for the premiere of his short film, The Wetlands We Inherit, which won “Special Recognition for Bridging Past and Present” in the 2026 Latest Generation Film Contest for age group 20–22.  

Launched in 2024 by documentarian Ken Burns and run by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation and the Better Angels Society, the contest asks young filmmakers take a historical approach to documentary storytelling. 

Highducheck, a double-major studying biology and environmental and sustainability studies, was working with friends on a documentary about marshes in Charleston when he learned of the contest. He started thinking about marshlands through a new perspective.  

“What’s unique about the festival is that the film has to have a historical focus,” says the Honors College Charleston Fellow, who is also a 2024 Fulbright alumnus and a Phi Beta Kappa Key Into Public Service Scholar. “So, I started thinking of how I could incorporate this into our film. I really tailored it to the film festival.” 

This approach led him to start a new project, which became The Wetlands We Inherit. 

“The Wetlands We Inherit analyzes the historical relationship between humans and wetlands, specifically in Charleston, and how that’s evolved over time and shapes the decision-making we see with wetland management and where we see flooding,” he says. “It’s a very clear chronological pattern. Seeing that historical buildup can help you understand and maybe realize some of the shortcomings of how we react today.” 

Science Meets Storytelling 

As part of the Bonner Leader Program, a four-year leadership program that offers scholarships to students who engage in weekly community service, Highducheck has worked closely with local environmental organizations. 

For the past two years, he’s worked with Charleston Waterkeeper on various projects, from lab work with microplastics and water-quality testing to community engagement events and cleanups.  

In partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources conducts marshland restoration work, replenishing Spartina marsh grass and wire reefs manufactured from recycled oyster shells to help restore the shoreline. 

Highducheck is conducting research for this effort to test whether Spartina grass can be grown more efficiently in greenhouses. 

For Highducheck, advocacy goes hand-in-hand with the research. Telling that story through a documentary is an effective way to educate people and get others involved in environmental causes.  

Highducheck has been interested in filmmaking since he was a kid, but he considers his first real film to be First Gen, which won the American Advertising Federation’s Spark! Award for Best Student Film. Made his freshman year in collaboration with CofC alumna Molly Moloney ’24, the film highlights first-generation students at the College of Charleston.

“I know wherever I end up, I want to incorporate documentary filmmaking in some way into whatever kind of career I have,” he says, “whether it’s the primary focus of my career or if it helps me push the work forward.” 

A Community Effort 

When an unfamiliar phone number from Chicago flashed on Highducheck’s phone, he suspected the reason for the call. 

“Usually I don’t answer random phone numbers,” he says with a laugh, “but I kind of had an idea what it might be. It was really, really exciting to get that news. It was a great moment.” 

That moment when he found out he had won the contest was made even better when he learned he’d be heading to Chicago for the film festival premiere in June.

“It was a fun experience to meet all the other filmmakers, and it was really cool to see it on the big screen,” he says.  

Much like marsh restoration, the making of the documentary required community effort and support.  

“This was not a one-man–band project,” says Highducheck, who worked closely with local groups including Friends of Gadsden Creek, the M.A.R.S.H. Project, Students of the Marsh and individuals to make the film a reality. “It would not have been possible without my collaborators and partner organizations.” 

He expressed gratitude for fellow students and alumni, including Miles Thompson ’24, a filmmaker who helped shoot the film; Hannah Escalante, the president of the Students of the Marsh who offered support and coordinated work with the M.A.R.S.H Project; Kailee Amendola, who also helped with shooting; and Christopher Nunziata, who consulted Highducheck on his historical research.  

What’s Next 

Making the award-winning film was a rewarding experience for Highducheck and taught him a new approach to filmmaking. 

“The festival is really trying to articulate historical storytelling and ask filmmakers to do in-depth historical research, which is something I didn’t have a lot of experience in,” he says. “Learning how to navigate that process, especially in Charleston, a place that has so much history – looking through old records and sources and things like that – was really interesting.” 

Highducheck sees himself pursuing a graduate degree, and he hopes to incorporate aspects of scientic research and filmmaking into his career. But, he also hopes to include his new historical research knowledge into future endeavors.  

“I definitely see that as a tool of storytelling to process numbers and research data for everybody to understand in an entertaining format,” he says.

For now, Highducheck will continue working with his collaborators on the marsh-focused feature-length documentary that inspired The Wetlands We Inherit.  

“I’m hoping when people see the film, they can recognize the significance of wetlands in their daily lives and the long-term success of Charleston in the context of all the history, and do something with that, whether it’s volunteering for a cleanup, reaching out to a representative or signing a petition,” he says. “I also just want people to enjoy it and learn something.”