“I’m crazy proud of all our students,” says Deidre Pike, Journalism chair and adviser to The Lumberjack. “Our student media teams work so hard to keep our campus informed and entertained, putting out a paper every week, while going to classes and often working outside jobs. They amaze me.”
Cal Poly Humboldt Journalism students won 28 awards in total for The Lumberjack, El Leñador, and Osprey magazine, including three national awards with the Associated Collegiate Press and nine first-place state awards with the CCMA.
Student reporters from The Lumberjack placed first in the state for Best Newspaper, Infographic, Editorial Cartoon, Social Justice Coverage, and Photo Illustration. El Leñador, the university’s bilingual publication, won firsts for Best News Photograph, Spanish Language Coverage, and Illustration. Osprey magazine won a first-place award for Best Magazine Inside Page Design.
The Lumberjack spring 2025 editor-in-chief, Emma Wilson, who attended the award banquet, said she has been inspired and grateful for her student media experience. Winning Best Newspaper was a bonus.
“I give credit to everyone on my team,” Wilson says. “They believed in me, and we believed in each other. Winning the best paper? We nailed it. We did that!”
In addition to numerous El Leñador staff awards, Noelle Doblado, editor-in-chief of El Leñador, won three individual awards for Best Arts & Entertainment, Best Multimedia Package, and Best Newspaper Front Page Design.
“I am endlessly proud of our team and seeing our work recognized is a reminder of why this student media is so important,” Doblado says. “I am lucky to be a part of such a dedicated team and supportive department.”
Osprey adviser Jessie Cretser Hartenstein said she was pleased to see student media awards go to contributors from outside the journalism major. Osprey magazine won a first-place award for inside page design by Mia Roberts, a Business Administration major. Humboldt student media staff often include majors from departments like English, Communication, Art, Film, Wildlife, Political Science, and Geography.
“Our publication staffs are open to the whole campus community,” Cretser Hartenstein says. “So our awards represent all Humboldt students.”
El Leñador editor-in-chief for Fall 2024-Spring 2025, Maryanne Casas-Perez, said she gained much from her student media leadership at Cal Poly Humboldt, praising the paper’s adviser, Andrea Juarez.
“I am really grateful for Andrea Juarez,” Casas-Perez says. “She’s been my mentor, my parent, and one of my biggest supporters.”
Casas-Perez scored an internship at the Fresno Bee last summer and now works as a regional reporter focusing on Latino communities for the San Jose Spotlight. She said she was glad she chose Cal Poly Humboldt for a journalism degree.
“I don’t feel I would’ve gotten a better experience anywhere else, especially because the journalism department is very hands-on,” Casas-Perez says. “I’m so proud of the students who continue to make El Leñador great. All the awards were well deserved. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
See the full awards below:
Associated Collegiate Press (national awards)
- Fifth Place Best of Show Newspaper, The Lumberjack
- Tenth Place Best of Show Newspaper, El Leñador
- Tenth Place Best of Show Magazine, Osprey
California College Media Association award 2026
(For California four-year colleges under 15,000)
The Lumberjack
First place
- Best Newspaper—Emma Wilson, Griffin Mancuso, Noah Pond, Mia Costales, Eli Farrington, Jasmin Shirazian & The Lumberjack staff
- Best Infographic—Jasmin Shirazian
- Best Editorial Cartoon—Griffin Mancuso
- Best Social Justice Coverage—Barley Lewis-McCabe & Nico Patakidis
- Best Photo Illustration—Mia Costales & Noah Pond
Second place
Best Newspaper Inside Page Spread – Noah Pond
- General Innovation —Mia Costales, Eli Farrington, Noah Pond, Jasmin Shirazian, Emma Wilson, Griffin Mancuso & The Lumberjack staff
Third Place
- Best News Photograph—Bodhi Haugen
- Best Breaking News Story—Savana Robinson
- Best Vertical Short Video—Luke Shanafelt, Bodhi Haugen & Ursula Newman
- Best Illustration—Eli Farrington
El Leñador
First Place
- Best News Photograph—Ocean Edgar
- Best Spanish Language Coverage—Maryanne Casas-Perez & El Leñador staff
- Best Illustration—Jessica De Laguna
Second Place
- Best Newspaper—El Leñador Staff
- Best Arts & Entertainment Story— Noelle Doblado
- Best Multimedia Package—Noelle Doblado
- Best Overall Newspaper Design—El Leñador Staff
- Best Newspaper Front Page Design—Noelle Doblado
- Best Features Photograph— Ocean Edgar
Third Place
- Best Social Justice Coverage—El Leñador Staff
- Best Special Issue/Section—El Leñador Staff
Osprey
First Place
- Best Magazine Inside Page Design—Mia Roberts
Second Place
- Best Magazine Photo—Marielle Winuk
Third Place
- Best Magazine Story—Ursula Newman