Elmhurst’s student newspaper, The Leader, took home seven honorable mentions and five awards, including third place in the General Excellence category for both print and web, at the 2026 Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) conference.

The conference was attended by The Leader‘s current Editorial Board and other members of the staff, as well as faculty advisor Eric Lutz ’11 and digital media practicum instructor Dennis Watkins.

“I am beyond delighted by The Leader‘s performance at ICPA this year,” said Editor-in-Chief Ian Murphy ’27. “Top three placement in General Excellence for both print and web is a significant improvement, and bolsters the quality reporting and pride in our work we as a team have been able to produce in 2025.”

At the conference, held earlier this spring in Chicago, awards were given for work done in the 2025 calendar year. Competing for the first time in the Mid-sized Schools division (after previously competing in the Small Schools division), The Leader won recognition for in-depth reporting and front-page layout, as well as for columns and arts criticism, feature writing, and video storytelling and podcasts.

“The ability for The Leader to send almost a dozen reporters to an event where they can learn and grow directly from working professionals is something I am very proud of,” Murphy said. “These workshops, contests and awards help encourage students not only to become better reporters, but to become individuals more engaged with the world around them and more specific in enacting change.”

Illinois College Press Association
Awardees from The Leader

Divisional Category
(Mid-sized Schools)

• Front-page Layout, 1st Place, Vanesa Arenas-Rubio ’26, a graphic design major from Des Plaines, Illinois
• In-depth Reporting, 1st Place, Ian Murphy ’27, a digital media major from Lindenhurst, Illinois; and former student Isabella Gonzalez
• In-depth Reporting, 3rd Place, Ashley Vanderhoff ’27, a multimedia journalism major from Sugar Grove, Illinois
• General Excellence – web, 3rd Place, The Leader staff
• General Excellence – print, 3rd Place, The Leader staff
• Editorial, Honorable Mention, The Leader editorial board
• Column, Honorable Mention, multimedia journalism major Elle Mavros ’28
• Column, Honorable Mention, Ashley Vanderhoff
• Feature Story, Honorable Mention, Ashley Vanderhoff
• Video Storytelling, Honorable Mention, Ian Murphy

Open Categories
(Statewide competition)

• Film Review, Honorable Mention, Ian Murphy
• Culture Podcast, Honorable Mention, Sarah Matzkin ’28, a multimedia journalism major from Mt. Prospect, Illinois