Southwestern College Professor Dr. Max Branscomb with the previous and current Sun Editor-in Chiefs Nicolette Monique Luna, Liliana Anguiano, Camila Gonzalez and Emily Ingco presenting their recent achievements in front of the Sun Newspaper. (left to right)
Edited by Morgan Jacobson
When Nicolette Luna led her staff to a collegiate Pulitzer Prize as Editor-in-Chief of El Sol Magazine she could not vote. Or drive. Or get a learner’s permit.
Now she can drive.
And now she has led her team to a second college Pulitzer.
Luna’s unprecedented career as a college journalist who is still in high school celebrated another never-been-done before achievement when she was named National College Reporter of the Year by the Associated Collegiate Press at its National College Media Convention in Atlanta. She was honored for a portfolio of articles she wrote for The Sun and El Sol while she was a 16-year-old junior at Bonita Vista High School dual enrolled at Southwestern College. Luna is the youngest Reporter of the Year in the 102-year history of the ACP and the first ever high school student.
Luna was named one of San Diego County’s 25 Remarkable Teenagers by the Public Defenders Office at age 16, the same age she won the American Scholastic Press Association Most Outstanding Service to the Community Award and the Society of Professional Journalists Dr. James Julian Award for Community Service – the first time a college student or high school student won the prestigious award created for professionals.
El Sol Magazine has thrived under Luna’s leadership. It is the 2023 Columbia University Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown winner as America’s Best Collegiate Publication, beating out the Southwestern College Sun newspaper, which received the Silver Crown. El Sol was also the College Media Association Pinnacle Award recipient, SPJ Magazine of the Year, and San Diego Press Club’s Best College Magazine.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and the city council declared November 14, 2023, Nicolette Luna Day.
“Nicolette Luna is an amazing young lady and a great member of our community,” said McCann. “We all appreciate that she brought the National Reporter of the Year award to Chula Vista.”
Southwestern College’s super teen had company on the national stage. Lesley Garate won the Ernie Pyle Feature Profile Story of the Year award from ACP for her article “Chicano Park’s Guardian Angel.” Edmundo Godinez is the national champion cartoonist for “Here’s Looking at You, Kid.” Emily Ingco, Camila Gonzalez, Razylin Avendano, Alicia Rivero, Liliana Anguiano and Cheri-Ann Inouye also earned national awards from ACP.
Liliana Anguino is the former Editor-in-Chief who is currently a junior at UC Santa Barbara. She said the mental makeup of the staff drives its achievements.
“When you have staff members like those we have on The Sun who are hard-working, intelligent and resilient, success follows,” she said. “Knowing the staff’s hard work has been recognized nationally is a joy. The awards only push the team to cover the issues that matter and support the community.”
Student Journalism Recognition, 2022-23
Southwestern College Sun
Pacemaker Award, the collegiate Pulitzer Prize (Associated Collegiate Press, Minneapolis)
Best of Show (ACP, Minneapolis)
National Pinnacle Award, Best College Newspaper (College Media Association, New York)
Best College Newspaper (National Newspaper Association, Pensacola, FL)
Most Outstanding College Newspaper (American Scholastic Press Association, College Point, NY)
Most Outstanding Service to the Community (ASPA, College Point, NY)
Freedom of Information Award (finalist) (Student Press Law Center, Washington D.C.)
Silver Crown Award (Columbia Scholastic Press Association, NY)
Gold Medal Award (Columbia Scholastic Press Association, NY)
Best Two-Year College Newspaper (California Newspaper Publishers Association, Sacramento)
Best College Newspaper (California College Media
Association, Sacramento)
Pacesetter Award (Journalism Association of Community
Colleges, Sacramento)
Newspaper General Excellence Award (JACC, Sacramento)
Best College Newspaper
(San Diego Press Club)
Best Collegiate Publication
(San Diego Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists)
Student Equity Champions (Southwestern College Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
El Sol Magazine XII
Pacemaker Award, the collegiate Pulitzer Prize (ACP, Minneapolis)
Best of Show (ACP, Minneapolis)
National Pinnacle Award, Best College Magazine (College Media Association, New York)
Gold Crown Award, America’s Best Student Publication (Columbia Scholastic Press Association, NY)
Most Outstanding College Magazine (American Scholastic Press Association, College Point, NY)
Most Outstanding Service to the Community (ASPA, College Point, NY)
Best College Magazine
(California College Media
Association, Sacramento)
Magazine General Excellence Award (Journalism Association of Community Colleges, Sacramento)
Best College Magazine
(San Diego Press Club)
Best Collegiate Publication
(San Diego Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists)
Notable Individual Awards
Nicolette Monique Luna, National College Reporter of the Year
(ACP, Minneapolis)
Lesley Garate, Ernie Pyle National Feature Profile Story of the Year (ACP, Ernie Pyle Foundation)
Edmundo Godinez, National Editorial Cartoon of the Year (ACP, Minneapolis)
Alicia Rivero, Liliana Anguiano, Editorial of the Year (ACP, Minneapolis)
Camila Gonzalez, Emily Ingco, National Sports Story of the Year (ACP, Minneapolis)
Nicolette Monique Luna,
National Magazine Design of the Year (ACP, Minneapolis)
Razylin Avendano, National Infographic of the Year
(ACP, Minneapolis)
Cheri-Ann Inouye, National Column Writer of the Year (ACP, Minneapolis)
Liliana Anguiano, Camila Gonzalez, Nicolette Monique Luna, National Newspaper Design of the Year (ACP, NY)
Nicolette Monique Luna, Most Outstanding Service to the Community (ASPA, College Point, NY)
Nicolette Monique Luna, National Future Leaders Trust Scholarship (Las Vegas, NV)
Alicia Rivero, National Editorial Cartoon of the Year (professional category) (NNA, Pensacola, FL)
Camila Gonzalez, National Award for Best Localized Reporting (professional category)
(NNA, Pensacola, FL)
Esteban Preciado, National Award for Investigative Reporting (professional category) (NNA, FL)
Camila Gonzalez, National Sports Story of the Year (professional category) (NNA, Pensacola, FL)
Camila Gonzalez, National Critical Review of the Year (professional category) (NNA, Pensacola, FL)
Nicolette Monique Luna, Dr. James Julian Award for Community Service (professional category) (SD Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists)
Nicolette Monique Luna, “Nicolette Luna Day,” November 14, 2023, Chula Vista City Council
Liliana Anguiano, Hannah Ramirez, Julia Woock, Juan Herrera, Student of Distinction Award, Southwestern College
