The IWPA is excited to announce the winners of our 2025 High School Communications Contest!

This year, we had 85 entries from a total of 7 high schools go on for judging, and we are excited to announce the winner of the Silver Pen award for the most points across categories is Stevenson High School!

First Place winners go on to compete in the National Federation of Press Women’s High School Communications Contest!

The IWPA will host a luncheon at the Public Landing Restaurant in Lockport, IL on May 3 to hand out certificates and awards for our High School and Professional Contests! We hope you join us! Register for the luncheon here!!

See below for the list of all the winners from different schools. Congratulations to all the winners!

Homewood-Flossmoor

First Place

Ashira Blakey, Oreoluwa Shodipo – Video News Story – 17 Years Later…

Laila Dyer, Aiden Klauk – Video Sports Story – Veterans at HF

Second Place

Sommer Owens, Laila Dyer, Ashira Blakey – Best Newscast

Sommer Owens – Video News Story

Oreoluwa Shodipo, Laila Dyer – Video Feature Story

Macy Hamer – Video Sports Story

Third Place

Douwe Groen – Video News Story

Declan Klyn – Video Sports Story

Honorable Mention

Ewan Duckett – Video News Story

Anthony Reynoso – Video Feature Story

Laila Dyer – Video Feature Story

Ariana Salas, Macy Hamer – Video Sports Story

 

Huntley

First Place

Maya Hiermann – News or Feature Photo

William Mize, Addyson Zay, Parker DeSimone, Elaina Satalino, Jocelyn Jones, Addison Stone, Caden Slad, Dylan Fekete – Best Newscast – Raider Nation News Episode 11

William Mize – Video Feature Story – Veterans Day

Kathleen Nash – Yearbook Layout – Moving Up & Moving On

Kathleen Nash – Yearbook Photo – Traditions & Transitions

Second Place

Drew Diversey – Sports Story

Ly Martil – News or Feature Photo

Alyssa McQueen – Yearbook Layout

Cooper Wackerlin – Yearbook Photo

Third Place

Irene Banerjee – Editorial

William Mize – Video Feature Story

Kathleen Nash – Yearbook Layout

Honorable Mention

Dylan Fekete – Video News Story

Elaina Satalino, William Mize, Addyson Zay – Video News Story

Parker DeSimone – Video News Story

Juliette Poirier, Elaina Satalino, William Mize – Video News Story

Elaina Satalino – Video News Story

Mia Kaltenecker, Andrew Arnaout – Video Feature Story

Matthew Glosson – Video Feature Story

Addison Stone – Video Feature Story

Kaylee Coleman, Angelina Penuela – Video Feature Story

William Mize, Gabriella Mufarreh, Angelina Penuela – Video Feature Story

Caden Slad, Dylan Fekete – Video Sports Story

Cooper Wackerlin – Yearbook Layout

 

McHenry

Second Place

Rose Wenckebach – Sports Photo

Honorable Mention

Grace Crockett – News Story

Rose Wenckebach – Feature Story

 

Metea

First Place

Ollie Shuminas – Opinion – The silent struggles of transgender students

Second Place

Luisa Bernardino – Review

Honorable Mention

Carlos Sanchez – Sports Story

 

Roycemore

First Place

Ronan McGuire, Nico Ipjian – Yearbook Copywriting – Wassail & Winter Traditions

Second Place

Maya Nyima – Yearbook Copywriting

 

Saint Viator

First Place

Daniel Fisher – Single-Page Layout –‘Brawl Stars’ becomes star of mobile gaming

Third Place

Hannah Hoog – News Story

Palyn O-Saithai – Graphics / Photo Illustration

Honorable Mention

Judith Saji – Sports Story

Ella Beckman – Review

 

Stevenson

First Place

Eleanor McInnis – Editorial – Fatal Footprints

Bhargavi Maddana, Lynde Mogenson – News Story – Safety Lock

Fiona Jin, Sanjar Salomov, Jill Wang – Feature Story – On the Right Path

Jonah Cooper, Justin Kim, Lillian Zhou – Sports Story – Pros and Costs

Adi Jaiswal – Columns or Blogs – Missing the Moment

Aisha Fatima, Alex Xie – Review – Third Time’s the Charm

Ansh Aggarwal, Samantha Gingiss – Graphics / Photo Illustration – Fill, Don’t Spill

Eshaam Bhattad, Saatvik Kailash – Double-Truck Layout – Under the Weather

Alex Zie, Eleanor McInnis – Radio or Podcast Prepared Report – Statesman Speaks: 2024 Elections

Second Place

Hannah Diab – Editorial

Ansh Aggarwal, Ishanvi Chaudhary, Ishanvi Mishra, Kashvi Nagpal – News Story

Tej Kosaraju, Jenny Liang, Sreeja Muthakannan – Feature Story

Oliver Arora – Columns or Blogs

Hannah Diab, Fiona Jin – Graphics / Photo Illustration

Brayden Caldwell, Milt King – Double-Truck Layout

Third Place

Saanvi Adusumalli, Ellie Miller, Lynde Mogenson, Anushkka Dhawan – Feature Story

Ansh Aggarwal, Oliver Arora – Sports Story

Honorable Mention

Saanvi Adusumalli, Saatvik Kailash – Feature Story

Grace Bui, Hannah Diab, Sattvik Kailash, Sona Surya – Feature Story