Awards

Niles West News is the student-run news website at Niles West High School in Skokie, IL.

2024-2025

Editors in Chief: Khadija Khan and Leila Meseljevic; Managing Editor: Cora Gayford

Online Pacemaker Finalist, National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA)

Best of SNO

The Editors for Press Freedom Starts with Students

Cora Gayford and Sarina Nur for Students From Immigrant Families Face Fears of Deportation Under Trump Administration

1st Place for Best Digital-Only Publication and 3rd Place for Best Overall Publication, Illinois Journalism Education Association (IJEA)

IJEA Individual Awards

IHSA State Qualifier

Suha Siddiqui, Headline Writing

Golden Eagle, Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association (NISPA)

NISPA Individual Awards

Silver Crown, Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)

JEA/NSPA Fall Journalism Convention in Philadelphia:

Khadija Khan (Senior, Co-Editor-in-Chief), Sports Writing—Honorable Mention

Suha Siddiqui (Junior, Opinions Editor), News Editing/Headline/Current Events—Honorable Mention

ALL-KEMPA, Kettle Moraine Press Association

 

2023-2024

Editors in Chief: Anna Lusson and Emma Schieffer; Managing Editor: Gia Bexes

CSPA Silver Crown

IJEA 

Best Digital Publication 1st Place

Slideshow of all individual winners

IHSA State qualifiers

Gia Bexes – Feature Writing

Fiona Rae – Editorial Writing

Cora Gayford – Copy Editing

Khadijah Khan – Sports Writing

 

2022-2023

Editor in Chief: Ella Lindemann; Managing Editor: Emma Schieffer

NSPA Student Media Contests: St. Louis, 2022

KEMPA

KEMPA Advisor of the Year

IHSA District 

Anna Lusson, News Writing (3rd place, State Qualifier)

Georgia Bexes, Feature Writing (1st place, State Qualifier)

Quinn Gilbert, Sports Writing (4th place)

Isa Gil, Review Writing (6th place)

IHSA State Competition, Normal, IL

Anna Lusson, News Writing

Georgia Bexes, Feature Writing

IJEA Click HERE for slides detailing all individual winners

Best Digital Publication: 1st place

Best Website Design: 2nd place

Best Overall Publication (all publication types–print, digital, hybrid): 3rd place

NISPA

Golden Eagle

 

2021-2022

Editor in Chief: Gloria Kosir; Managing Editor: Emily Chin

Silver Crown, CSPA

 

2020-2021

Editor in Chief: Alma Duskic; Managing Editor: Luca Hatzopoulos

Silver Crown, CSPA

Best of SNO

IJEA Best Overall Publication: 2nd Place

IJEA Individual Awards

• Editorial: FIRST PLACE Alma Duskic, Editor in Chief for Is Canvas Helping Us Manage Our Learning?
• News Photograph: FIRST PLACE Kailey Lopez, Staff Writer Local Fire Brings Destruction, Renewal
• Illustration: FIRST PLACE Athea Bibat, Staff Contributor Autumn Lookbook

Editor in Chief: Mateo Acosta;  Managing Editor: Alma Duskic

Gold Medalist, CSPA

BEST IN SHOW (1st place), NSPA conference in Washington D.C., 2019

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

JEA National Media Contests: Sarah Waters (Exellent Rating, Commentary Writing); Ethan Carey (Honorable Mention, Sports Writing); Stefan Simic (Honorable Mention, Review Writing)

Illinois State Journalist of the Year: Sarah Waters, runner-up.

IJEA Special Contest for COVID-19 Coverage: Alli Lipsit (1st Place: Diary of a Quaranteen; Honorable Mention: D219’s COVID-19 Plan: Consult Health Organizations and Sanitize)

Golden Eagle, NISPA

Blue Ribbon NISPA: Editorial Writing (Editorial Board); Column Writing (Alli Lipsit); Feature Writing (Gloria Kosir); Photo (Aila Durakovic); Multimedia (Julie Ableson and Eiman Navaid); Team In Depth (Mateo Acosta, Gloria Kosir, and Sarah Waters)

Honorable Mention NISPA: News Writing (Sarah Waters); Review Writing (Stefan Simic); Breaking News (Mateo Acosta); Photo Gallery (Aila Durakovic)

 

2018-2019

Editors: Christina Lappas and Divitya Vakil

Gold Medalist, CSPA

Pacemaker Finalist, NSPA

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

Golden Eagle, NISPA

Individual winners (Wyatt Zwik, Lexi Lee, Isa Gil): IWPA

 

2017-2018

Editors: Grace Geraghty and Sammy Butera; Managing Editor: Christina Lappas 

Crown Finalist, CSPA

Pacemaker Finalist, NSPA

First Class rating, KEMPA

Golden Eagle, NISPA

1st place, Best Digital Publication, IJEA

Individual winner (Grace Geraghty): IWPA

 

2016-2017

Editor: George Panoutsos;  Managing Editor: Duaa Israr

Silver Crown, CSPA

All-Columbia, Gold Medalist, CSPA

 

2015-2016

Editor: Emily Butera; Managing Editor: Katrina Nickell

Pacemaker finalist, NSPA

Silver Crown, CSPA

All-Columbia, Gold Medalist, CSPA

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

Golden Eagle, NISPA

1st place, Website, IJEA

2nd place, Digital-Only Publication, IJEA

Profile of the Year, Quill and Scroll, “Adventures of Banana Boy,” by Thea Gonzales

Best in Show (3rd place), NSPA conference in Los Angeles (April 2016)

 

2014-2015

Editor: Vinny Kabat

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

Golden Eagle, NISPA

 

2013-2014

Editors: Gabrielle Abesamis and Alyssa Guzman

Pacemaker finalist, NSPA

NSPA Story of the Year Honorable Mention (Diversity), “Ruhi Qurashi: The Passionate Muslim Gymnast,” by Ena Sarancic

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

IJEA All-State Team: Gabrielle Abesamis

 

2012-2013

Editor: Ivana Kosir

Pacemaker winner, NSPA

NSPA Story of the Year Winner (Diversity), “Bryan Taico: Not Just’ the Kid with the UGGs,” by Gabrielle Abesamis

KEMPA Gebhardt Award (Feature), “Students from Ohio Share Experiences,” by Gabrielle Abesamis

All-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

First-class rating, with three marks of distinction, NSPA

Gold medalist rating, CSPA

 

2011-2012

Editor: Colene Gibson

Pacemaker Finalist, NSPA

Silver Crown, CSPA

ALL-KEMPA rating, KEMPA

Best in Show (10th place), NSPA conference in Seattle, WA (April 2012)

All-State Team IJEA, Ivana Kosir

 

2010-2011 (debut year)

Editor: Rozy Kanjee

Pacemaker, NSPA

Best in Show (1st place), NSPA conference in Anaheim, CA (April 2011)

First-class rating, NSPA