The IV Leader student newspaper at Illinois Valley Community College earned 24 awards during this year’s Illinois Community College Journalism Association (ICCJA) contest. 

 “IVCC is the smallest community college by enrollment that competes in the contest, so having student work recognized shows the quality of their developing skills,” Lori Cinotte, IVCC English/journalism instructor, stated. 

Despite being the smallest entrant, the IV Leader won first place in both Best Student Media and the Mike Foster General Excellence Award. IV Leader staff were also recognized in a variety of different categories in both the Open and Division competitions, including News Story of the Year in the Open division.  

“The first-place award for News Story of the Year is special because we compete against all submitting Illinois community colleges in the Open Division, unlike some of the other categories where we are divided into smaller vs. larger schools by enrollment. 

“Sonja and Abigail used solid reporting skills to present a story of the potential impact of some of the federal cuts to higher education that were considered during the spring. We were appreciative that President Morris sat down for an interview with the students and provided so much information about the federal funding that the college receives,” Cinotte emphasized.  

Student Awards 

Emma Coss of Ottawa (7 awards) 

Open Division: 

• Editorial Writer of the Year: Honorable Mention 

Division Categories:  

• Front Page Design: First, Second 

• Headline: Honorable Mention 

• News Column: Third Place 

• Page Design: First 

• Staff Editorial: First, Third 

Sam Bima of Oglesby (5 awards) 

Open Division: 

• Sports Column: Second 

Division Categories:  

• Sports Photo: First, Second 

• Sport Game Story: First 

• Sports Feature: First 

Sonja Penney of Dalzell (4 awards) 

Open Division: 

• News Story of the Year: First (with Abigail Beckcom) 

• Multimedia: Honorable Mention (with Abigail Beckcom) 

• Graphics: Honorable Mention 

Division Categories:  

• News Story: Honorable Mention 

Abigail Beckcom of Oglesby (3 awards) 

Open Division: 

• News Story of the Year: First (with Sonja Penney) 

• Multimedia: Honorable Mention (with Sonja Penney) 

Division Categories:  

• News Story: Third 

MaKade Rios of DePue (2 awards) 

Division Categories:  

• Sports Photo: First, Second 

Ashton Watkins of Dana (2 awards) 

Division Categories:  

• Feature Photo: First 

• News Photo: First 

Noah Girard of Streator (1 award) 

Division Categories:  

• Feature Writing: Honorable Mention 

Xochitl Gutierrez of Ottawa (1 award) 

Division Categories:  

• Page Design: Second 

“I am extremely proud of the students for having their work recognized on a statewide level. The IV Leader staff’s multiple awards at contest shows their commitment to quality journalism,” Cinotte said.