Annual awards event recognizes All-State Team, Journalist of Year and former IJEA director

PHOTO: We honored our 2022 All-State Journalism Team, Illinois Journalist of the Year and IJOY runner-up as well as former IJEA Executive Director Dr. Sally Renaud on June 4 in Springfield. Thank you to the Illinois Press Foundation for making this event possible and to film critic Matt Fagerholm for serving as our keynote speaker. And thank you to all of the families who made the trip! Pictured in top row from left: All-State members Julia Benkendorf, Jared Juenger, William Tong, Anna Olp, Jacob Siciliano, Julia Hanson and Bridget Nelis. Pictured in bottom row from left: All-State members Téa Tamburo and Alyssa Schulz, Illinois Journalist of the Year Olivia Kim, and All-State members Emma Fudacz and Catherine Anderson. Not pictured: All-State members Ellie Armstrong and Emma Guarni, and IJOY runner-up Victoria Feng. Dr. Sally Renaud is pictured elsewhere on this page. Congratulations to all! (IJEA photo by Dave Porreca) 

Fifteen outstanding high school journalists were honored June 4 at IJEA’sAll-State Team/Illinois Journalist of the Year luncheon in Springfield.

The event, held in the conservatory of the Inn at 835, was IJEA’s first in-person celebration of student journalism, following two years of remote celebrations.

“We’re just really pleased and thankful that we have the opportunity to have this event again, especially to be able to recognize all of you who have earned honors as All-State journalists and and our state journalists of the year,” incoming IJEA President Keith Carlson told the group.

The honorees were 13 members of the 2022 All-State Journalism Team as well as the Illinois Journalist of the Year, Olivia Kim, and the runner-up IJOY, Victoria Feng.

Guest speaker for the event was Matt Fagerholm of RogerEbert.com, who described his career as a film critic as “serendipitous.”

ABOVE: Film critic Matt Fagerholm, assistant editor at RogerEbert.com, delivers the keynote speech at the June 4, 2022, IJEA awards luncheon. (IJEA photo by Dave Porreca)

“It hasn’t been through luck,” Fagerholm said. “It’s been through this idea of following what feels right, and what feels right often tends to be what you’re doing in your spare time …. and yet ends up being the thing that will lead you to the next big moment of your life.”

Read more about the All-State Team and the Illinois Journalist of the Year winner and runner-up at the following links:

• 2022 All-State Journalism Team
• Illinois Journalist of the Year

The Illinois Press Foundation, under the leadership of IPF Director Jeff Rogers, sponsors the event with IJEA.

Student journalists weren’t the only ones honored at this year’s awards luncheon: IJEA presented Dr. Sally Renaud, former executive director of IJEA, with two of its highest awards.

Renaud was inducted into IJEA’s Hall of Fame and received IJEA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

John Gonczy, outgoing IJEA president, said Renaud’s guiding philosophy in her work with scholastic journalism has always been, “It’s all about the kids.”

In a brief talk to the audience via Zoom, Renaud, who is retiring this year from Eastern Illinois University, said that her mission in working with IJEA has been to bring together scholastic journalism and college journalism with professional journalism.

“I love journalism!” said Renaud, who served as IJEA’s executive director from 2005 to 2019 while also teaching full time as a journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. She also served as IJEA yearbook contest coordinator for nearly two decades.

Renaud, who also chaired the EIU journalism department, said she will miss the relationships she built with students and fellow educators.

“Students find a home in journalism programs,” she said in an interview prior to the luncheon, “and that is due to advisers who inspire students to continue working hard.” To those advisers she said: “IJEA will have your back and will honor the great work you do; we are there if you need help.”

For comments from Renaud’s colleagues about the impact she had on them, please click this link.

More Photos from the June 4, 2022, IJEA Awards Luncheon

The following photos were taken by Dave Porreca, IJEA board member. Additional pictures of the event are available at this link. Please note that three honorees were not present for the luncheon and are therefore not pictured below: IJOY runner-up Victoria Feng of Stevenson High School and All-State members Ellie Armstrong of Huntley High School and Emma Guarni of Oswego East High School.

ABOVE: IJEA honorees and their family members look on as the June 4, 2022, IJEA awards recognition begins. The luncheon took place in the conservatory of Springfield’s Inn at 835. IJEA co-sponsored the event with the Illinois Press Foundation. Thank you for your support, IPF, throughout the 18 years we’ve recognized our All-State Journalism Team and IJOY with a year-end celebration!

ABOVE: Incoming IJEA President Keith Carlson, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser at Naperville Central High School, presides over the luncheon. He succeeds Marist High School’s John Gonczy, who is stepping down as president after four years but is remaining as an IJEA board member.

ABOVE: Outgoing IJEA President John Gonczy, who for many years served as journalism teacher and newspaper adviser at Chicago’s Marist High School, introduced Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Sally Renaud, who retired from Easter Illinois University at the end of the 2021-22 academic year.

ABOVE: Dr. Sally Renaud addresses the luncheon via Zoom. She received the IJEA Lifetime Achievement Award as well as induction into the IJEA Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to both the organization and to Illinois scholastic journalism. Dr. Renaud, who retired this spring from Eastern Illinois University, served as IJEA executive director for 14 years, from 2005 to 2019.

ABOVE: Jeff Rogers, director of the Illinois Press Foundation, speaks at the luncheon. The IPF has partnered with IJEA since 2004-05 to co-host the year-end awards recognition ceremony in Springfield.

ABOVE: Matt Fagerholm, film critic and proud alum of McHenry High School, delivers the luncheon’s keynote speech. As assistant editor at RogerEbert.com, Matt helps oversee the publication of some of the best review writing in America while also preserving the legacy of the late Roger Ebert, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times for almost 50 years.

ABOVE: Linda Jones, IJEA’s executive director since Dr. Renaud stepped down in 2019, introduces the 2022 Illinois Journalist of the Year, senior Olivia Kim of Prospect High School in Mount Prospect.

ABOVE: Prospector editor-in-chief Olivia Kim receives her 2022 Illinois Journalist of the Year plaque from Linda Jones. Olivia is third Prospect High School student to win the IJOY award. She joins Ryan Kupperman (2020) and Ayse Elder (2019) on that list. All three IJOY winners were students of adviser Jason Block.

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Catherine Anderson, social media coordinator for The Warrior Weekly, McHenry Community High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Julia Benkendorf, editor-in-chief of the Viator Voice newspaper, St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to junior Emma Fudacz, managing editor of the Blueprint, Downers Grove South High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to junior Julia Hanson, arts and entertainment editor of the Omega, Downers Grove North High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to junior Jared Juenger, co-editor-in-chief of the Launch Pad news website, Okawville High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Bridget Nelis, editor-in-chief of the Stargazer newspaper at St. Charles North High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Anna Olp, design executive and photography executive for the Kaneland Krier in Maple Park, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Alyssa Schulz, one of two editors-in-chief at the Prospector at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior Jacob Siciliano, editor-in-chief of ProspectorNow.com, the news website at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to junior Téa Tamburo, deputy managing editor of U-High Midway at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: Congratulations to senior William Tong, co-editor-in-chief of Central Times at Naperville Central High School, for being selected to the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team!

ABOVE: IJEA board member Elizabeth Levin, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser at Downers Grove North High School, introduces members of the 2022 All-State Journalism Team.

ABOVE: Board member and former IJEA president Brad Bennewitz, journalism teacher and publication adviser at Galesburg High School, introduces members of the 2022 All-State Journalism Team.

ABOVE: IJEA board member Sheila Moore, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser at Meridian High School in Macon, introduces members of the 2022 All-State Journalism Team.

ABOVE: Keynote speaker Matt Fagerholm with his father, Mike Fagerholm.

ABOVE: IJOY Olivia Kim (front row center) and 11 of the 13 members of the 2022 IJEA All-State Journalism Team are joined by keynote speaker Matt Fagerholm, who is at right end of the first row, next to Catherine Anderson of McHenry High School, Matt’s alma mater. Thank you for the amazing speech, Matt, and congratulations to all of our honorees!