WWU student journalists take home 11 awards at regional SPJ conference
Students from Western Washington University were recently honored with four first place Region 10 Mark of Excellence Awards (MOE) and seven Finalist Awards (placed in the top three) by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ); first place winners will advance to the national competition.
Western students won for their work at three of Western’s student-produced publications: The Front, Klipsun and The Planet. The MOE Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism for the 2025 calendar year; Region 10 includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
First place award category winners:
Eli Voorhies, from Flagstaff, Arizona, won first place in the Personality Profile Writing for “A Swan With Clipped Wings” in Klipsun.
“Eli was diligent and thorough in his reporting on Whatcom photographer Tore Ofteness, a Western alum and a Klipsun photographer in the magazine’s early days,” said Peggy Watt, Klipsun advisor and journalism associate professor. “I've always admired Tore's work and I was pleased to see a current visual journalism student take interest and inspiration from someone who had some of the same roots.”
Nola Lierheimer, from Portland, Oregon, was awarded a first place regional award in the Retail / Small Business category for “From Tide to Table” with The Planet.
Liam Pratt, from Olalla, Washington, received a first place regional award for General News Photography for “Akeem From Altadena” for The Planet.
Tori Lehman, from Longmont, Colorado, along with all staff for The Planet won a first place regional award for Best Affiliated Website.
"Winning the Best Affiliated Website award was a team effort, and for a magazine that publishes three times a year online, a huge honor,” said Jeff Shaw, The Planet publication advisor and instructor of Journalism and Environmental Studies. “Although everyone deserves some share of the credit, Tori Lehman has been a standout editor-in-chief that has helped guide The Planet to this success over multiple years, and Kate Nguyen, who is this year's social media editor, has really done great work to make the website the best it can be."
Finalist award category winners:
- Molly Schoffner and Brenna Witchey, The Front, “WWU admits to overcharging student fees,” for the General News Reporting category.
- Ben Magnus, The Front, “Young riders push the limit at local mountain biking race,” for the Photoessay / Slideshow category.
- Jesse Paull, The Planet, “Is Falconry Feasible?” for the Photo Essay / Slideshow category.
- Avery Robertson, The Planet, “Caution for the Cascades Red Fox” for the Feature Photography category.
- Anna Gilboard, The Planet, “Protected Yet Persecuted,” for the General News Reporting category.
- Kaia Olson, The Planet, “A Whale’s Best Friend,” for the Science / Environment Reporting category.
- Alex Hodson, The Planet, “The Need For Weed,” for the Regional Political Reporting category.
Students who entered the competition attended the Region 10 conference at University of Washington’s Tacoma campus on April 11, accompanied by Shaw. Students were given the opportunity to connect with industry professionals and ask questions during presentations at the event.
"It's been a joy to work with these students. They're serious about the duty that journalists have to give people the information they need to make decisions and to live their lives,” said Kie Relyea, The Front’s publication advisor and journalism instructor. "Being recognized for our hard work is exciting and fulfilling. We savor it, and then go right back at it — knowing there are more stories waiting to be told."
All Region 10 MOE winners and finalists can be found here.