Illinois Student Newsroom at Illinois Public Media members and journalism students Madison Holcomb and Layli Nazarova were named 2024 Mark of Excellence Awards winners in the audio category in their region by the Society of Professional Journalists.

SPJ’s Region 5 comprises collegiate journalists within Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Holcomb, a senior, was the overall winner for radio feature with the story “He used education to escape a violent childhood. Today, he wants to help kids in similar situations.”

Additionally, Holcomb’s “Coal ash is polluting Illinois rivers. Environmentalists want the state to move faster to stop it” was also a finalist for radio in-depth reporting. 

In the category of radio news reporting, Nazarova, a junior, was one of two finalists for her piece “U of I student drops disability studies over inaccessible bathrooms.”

Christine Herman, news editor at Illinois Public Media, served as a professional advisor for Holcomb and Nazarova.