The Peralta Citizen student reporters recently returned from the National Association of Collegiate Presses (NACP) and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) joint conference in Long Beach, achieving a remarkable collection of awards. At the March 8, 2025 Board of Trustees meeting, Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson highlighted the students' exceptional performance, noting it as "one of their most successful showings to date."
Student journalists from the Peralta Citizen were recognized across several categories, demonstrating their dedication to quality reporting and storytelling. The award-winning pieces included:
- Column Writing: Tamara Copes
- Enterprise (Investigative) Story: Li Khan and Lylah Schmedel Permanna
- Editorial: Li Khan/All Citizen Staff
- Opinion Story: Eliot Faine and Desmond Meagley
- Informational Graphic: Lylah Schmedel Permanna and Li Khan
- Photo Illustration: Desmond Meagley
Student photos courtesy of the The Citizen
Adding to their accolades, Laney College students and The Citizen co-Editors-in-Chief Lylah Schmedel Permanna and Desmond Meagley were awarded prestigious JACC scholarships. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy, as only five such scholarships were granted statewide.
Photo courtesy of The Citizen
Dr. Gilkerson also extended congratulations to Laney College Journalism Professor Eleni Gastis, the sponsor of The Citizen. "I often talk about Thought Leadership, and she’s another example of Peralta People in statewide leadership roles, serving as the President of the JACC board of directors.”
Dr. Gilkerson concluded, "Please join me in congratulating the Peralta Citizen team for their outstanding accomplishments and their continued commitment to journalistic excellence."
For more information about the student-run publication The Citizen and careers in journalism, visit the Laney College website at https://laney.edu/journalism.
