Neighbor News
LT Students and LION Newspaper Earn Top Honors
Lyons Township High School Students and LION Newspaper Earn Top Honors at NISPA Journalism Awards
Lyons Township High School is proud to announce that its studentjournalists and "The LION" newspaper have received significant recognition at the Northern Illinois School Press Association (NISPA) Journalism Awards for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students earned multiple individual awards for their outstanding work, and "The LION" newspaper itself garnered top honors in both its print and online formats.
Senior Molly James led the individual accolades, winning a BLUE RIBBON in NEWS WRITING for her poignant piece, "In Memoriam: Caroline Mhley ‘26." James also collaborated with juniors Lilly Grigsby and Lindsay Forebaugh to earn another BLUE RIBBON for TEAM IN-DEPTH REPORTING for their comprehensive coverage of the Democratic National Convention, including "Democratic National Convention Engages Youth,” the “DNC photo gallery,” and “Stephen Colbert: Live from Chicago."
Other individual achievements include:
● Senior Ray Waliewski: HONORABLE MENTION for SPORTS GAME STORY for his coverage of
Football season ends in quarterfinal and HONORABLE MENTION in PHOTO GALLERY for
Boys basketball falls on the road to rival Hinsdale Central Red Devils
● Senior Ava Hepokoski: HONORABLE MENTION in REVIEW WRITING for her critique of "Joker:
Folie a Deux."
● Junior Rhia Nagale: BLUE RIBBON in FEATURE WRITING for her heartwarming story,
"Librarian saves monarch butterflies."
● Junior Lilly Grigsby: HONORABLE MENTION in PROFILE WRITING for her piece on "Kropke’s
final coaching year."
● Junior Brooke Simmons: HONORABLE MENTION in EDITORIAL CARTOONING for her
insightful "Wifi cartoon."
Find out what's happening in La Grangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In addition to these individual successes, "The LION" newspaper demonstrated overall excellence,
earning the “GOLD MEDAL” distinction in the OVERALL NEWSPAPER CATEGORY based on its first
three print issues from the fall of 2024. The publication's online presence also saw significant
improvement, with "The LION" website winning the “SILVER MEDAL” distinction in the OVERALL
WEB CATEGORY, an advancement from their "Bronze" medal last year.
These awards highlight the talent and dedication of the student journalists at Lyons Township High
School and the commitment of "The LION" to providing high-quality news and information to the school community.
