Published on December 15, 2025

Several staff members of Lake Land College’s student-run newspaper, The Navigator News, recently earned awards at the 2024-2025 Illinois Community College Journalism Awards (ICCJA).

Two staff members, Aisha Salami of Nigeria and Mark Naroze of Charleston, received first-place recognition for Best News Story.

Salami also finished third for Best Page Design, and Naroze finished second for the Reporter of the Year award.

Darrius Frazier, Charleston, received multiple awards during the ceremony. Frazier finished first for Best News Column and received the third-place award for Best Sports Column.

Noella Kasera, Democratic Republic of Congo, received second-place honors for Best Staff Editorial.

Cecil Howell, Mattoon, was named an honorable mention for Editorial Writer of the Year.

Lake Land College staff member Kim Hunter, Director of Student Success, also received recognition for her contributions toward the paper, finishing second place for Best Feature Photo.

The Navigator team was also named an honorable mention for the Mike Foster General Excellence Award, which recognizes overall excellence in paper, website and social media quality.

“A huge congratulations to all the students who received awards during this year’s ceremony,” said Tim Stolz, Student Life Specialist. “Our students pour so much into this paper, and they learn a lot about writing, editing, web design and layout in the process. It’s great to see their work in all these areas recognized as some of the best in the state.”

The Lake Land College Navigator News staff consists of the following students:

To learn more about the Lake Land College Navigator News or to read the students’ most recent articles, visit the Navigator News website at TheNavigatorNews.com.