Southwestern College students had a remarkable experience at the annual Society of Professional Journalists awards banquet on Tuesday, June 20. The Sun, the college’s student-run newspaper, was named College Newspaper of the Year, beating out SDSU and UCSD. The achievements didn’t stop there as individual students and alumni also garnered prestigious awards for their outstanding contributions to journalism.
“Southwestern College journalism students earned 34 of 43 possible awards and 16 of 18 First Place awards,” shared Dr. Max Branscomb. “Winners are Nicolette Luna, Camila Gonzalez, Lesley Garate, Sebastian Sanchez, Esteban Preciado, Diego Higuera, Ailyn Dumas, Hannah Ramirez, Liliana Anguiano, Alicia Rivero, and Ji Ho Kim.”
In addition to the College Newspaper of the Year award, The Sun also received recognition for its Arts Editor Razylin Avendano, who received one of the two major scholarships awarded by the Society of Professional Journalists. Other Sunistas, Diego Higuera and Brittany Cruz-Fejeran, also earned scholarships for their exceptional contributions.
Branscomb emphasized the value of community engagement and reader feedback: “Like any healthy organization, we value feedback from our community and provide a platform for written responses via Letters to the Editor. Feedback is part of a broader mosaic of factors that shape content, but the primary driver is always service to our readers and our community.”
Emily Ingco shared her vision for The Sun’s online presence:. This will allow our newspaper to be accessible for all our audiences. I also aim to continuously update our social media platforms with creative infographics and short reel videos that will inform our audiences about stories in our publication and would attract them to our newspaper to read more about it.”
Reflecting on the commitment to inclusivity and community involvement, Liliana Anguiano who is Editor In Chief, expressed, “We try to pass on our connections to the next round of people and organizations. It is definitely a tradition. One that we were focused on rebuilding because we’ve had to, 100% come back from COVID. There were all these things that we wanted to rebuild to redo connections, traditions.”
Nikki Monique Luna emphasized the importance of involving different voices: “I think that by making sure that we have a lot of involvement from different people all throughout, even if it’s not directly writing for us, but just making sure we’re hearing people out, that it helps us be better for the community and what they need.”
To combat challenges and biases in reporting, Camila Gonzalez highlighted the need for objectivity: “To keep our newspaper objective, we rely on the sources to tell the story. Although I may be against the topic I’m reporting on, at the end of the day, the article is not about me. It is about the issue and the people behind the issue.”
Southwestern College’s The Sun stands as a shining example of student journalism and community engagement. With its commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and a forward-thinking approach to digital media, The Sun remains a vital source of news and a platform for students to develop their journalistic skills. As the newspaper continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on both the Southwestern College community and the broader field of journalism.
Southwestern College Sun and El Sol Magazine
Highlights of Accomplishments, 2022-23
National Society of Professional Journalists (Indianapolis)
- Corbin Gwaltney Award, Best All-Around Student Newspaper in America
- Esteban Preciado, Best Feature Story
- Camila Gonzalez, Best Investigative Story
Associated Collegiate Press (Minneapolis)
- Pacemaker Award, Southwestern College Sun (Collegiate Pulitzer Prize)
- Pacemaker Award, Southwestern College El Sol Magazine (Collegiate Pulitzer Prize)
- Best of Show Award, Southwestern College Sun
- Best of Show, El Sol Magazine
- Camila Gonzalez, National College Reporter of the Year
- Esteban Preciado, Feature Story of the Year
- Camila Gonzalez, Editorial of the Year
- Ana Paola Olvera, Ernie Pyle Profile Story of the Year
- Ji Ho Kim, Design of the Year
American Scholastic Press Association (New York/Kissimmee, FL)
- Best College Newspaper, Southwestern College Sun
- Best College Newspaper, El Sol Magazine
- Outstanding Service to the Community, Nicolette Monique Luna
- Outstanding Feature Story, Esteban Preciado
San Diego Chapter Society of Professional Journalists
- College Newspaper of the Year, Southwestern College Sun
- Dr. James Julian Memorial Award for Community Service, Nicolette Luna
- Agnes Diggs Memorial Scholarship, Razylin Avendano
- SPJ Scholarships, Diego Higuera, Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
- Awards Recipients: Nicolette Luna, Camila Gonzalez, Lesley Garate, Sebastian Sanchez, Esteban Preciado, Diego Higuera, Ailyn Dumas, Hannah Ramirez, Liliana Anguiano, Alicia Rivero, Jim Hi Kim (Southwestern College earned 34 of 43 possible awards and 16 of 18 First Place Awards)
San Diego Press Club
- College Newspaper of the Year, Southwestern College Sun
- College Magazine of the Year, El Sol Magazine
Journalism Association of Community Colleges (Sacramento)
- Pacesetter Award for Outstanding Collegiate Program, Southwestern College
- General Excellence Award, Southwestern College Sun
- General Excellence Award, El Sol Magazine
Southwestern College Student of Distinction Award
- Liliana Anguiano
- Juan Herrera
- Hannah Ramirez
- Julia Woock
Southwestern College Equity Champion
- Southwestern College Sun
