Northern Illinois Newspaper Association

Summer 2004

High school seniors
earn journalism scholarships

NINA, Daily Herald combine
to provide $1,800 in awards

Talented student journalists from Mundelein, Dundee-Crown and Maine Township West high schools topped NINA's 2004 list of scholarship winners.

This is the seventh year NINA has offered its Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year Scholarship program. The purpose of the program is to recognize outstanding achievement by high school students in the field of print journalism.

Each year a panel of NINA judges awards scholarships to a select few student journalists who have demonstrated a high standard of honesty, integrity, attention to detail, hard work, creativity, and an understanding and commitment to quality community journalism.

This year, NINA provided $1,200 in scholarship funding. The Daily Herald contributed $600 more. A total of 40 scholarship applications were received from public and private high schools throughout northern Illinois.

"It's great to see this program started just seven years ago with a couple of hundred dollars continue to grow in terms of both applications and awards," said scholarship coordinator John Etheredge, News Editor of the Ledger-Sentinel in Oswego. "The scholarship committee thanks the NINA Board and the Daily Herald for contributing so generously to this year's program."

First place

Kristen Sackley
NINA judges selected Kristen Sackley as this year's first place winner because of the high quality of her work as editor-in-chief of Mundelein High School's student newspaper, The Mustang, and as a bi-weekly columnist for the Daily Herald.

Sackley received a $900 scholarship, $600 from NINA and $300 from the Daily Herald. Pete Nenni, a NINA board member and Lake County editor for the Daily Herald, presented Sackley her scholarship May 20.

Judges were especially impressed with Kristen's willingness to report and editorialize on issues of concern to students, including censorship in school newspapers.

Judges also took note of a letter of recommendation from Diane Vonderhaar, Kristen's English and journalism teacher. Vonderhaar wrote: "I chose Kristen to be the editor of the school paper because of her excellent writing ability and leadership skills. She is also the most tenacious student I have ever met. When she believes in a cause, she will give everything she has to protect it. ... I truly believe this spirit, along with her writing ability and leadership skills,will make Kristen an extremely successful journalist."

Sackley plans to continue her journalism education at either University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, or Marquette University.

Second place

Michelle Sibery NINA judges selected Michelle Sibery as this year's second place winner because of her outstanding work over the past two years as editor of Dundee-Crown's student newspaper, The D-C Times.
In reviewing past issues of The D-C Times, judges were impressed with the talent Michelle has shown as an editor, writer and page designer. Judges took note that Michelle's adviser on The D-C Times, June Cavarretta, chose her to serve as editor of the paper her junior year.

Judges also noted Cavarretta's assessment of Michelle's tenure as editor.

Cavarretta wrote, "In the two years that Michelle has been Editor-in-Chief, she has significantly raised the standards we use to measure our progress and growth. She is adept at troubleshooting and finding workable solutions. ... Michelle has the ability to reach within herself to meet every challenge our class and journalism program has faced. We, too, have grown along with her."

Sibery received a $600 scholarship, $400 from NINA and $200 from the Daily Herald. Jim Baumann, Fox Valley editor for the Daily Herald, presented Sibery with her scholarship May 27.
Sibery will attend the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University this fall.

Third place

Molly Fergus

NINA judges chose Molly Fergus as this year's third place winner because of her outstanding work in a dual role as editor-in-chief and news editor of MaineTownship West's student newspaper, The Westerner.

Molly's work as a reporter on a wide-range of issue-oriented school news stores, including an investigative article on student fights, caught the attention of NINA judges.A strong recommendation from Molly's adviser for The Westerner, Laurie McGowan, impressed the judges.

McGowan wrote, "Molly Fergus stands out as a remarkable student journalist because she is tenacious in gathering information yet graceful in dealing with difficult people, highly skilled as a writer, yet always seeking ways to improve. Having worked with her for four years, she is easily one of the most conscientious and purposeful student journalists I have taught -- dedicated to the Society of Professional Journalists' principles of acting independently, seeking truth and reporting if fully."

Fergus received a $300 scholarship: $200 from NINA and $100 from the Daily Herald. She plans to continue her journalism education in college.

Honorable mentions

Amanda Sheaffer of St. Charles / Rosary High School, Aurora. Sheaffer has written a regular "Teen Sense" column for the Aurora Beacon-News. She will attend Marquette University this fall.

Tyson Braun of Woodstock / Woodstock High School. Braun has covered sports since age 15, beginning at The Woodstock Independent and, more recently, at the Northwest Herald. He has been accepted at the University of Iowa.

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