Wildcat Chronicle editor in chief Mayeli Vivaldo earned a blue ribbon award from the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association (NISPA) for her coverage of the Teachers’ Association.

“I felt very surprised and honored. I never expected to get such an award,” Vivaldo said.

Vivado earned the award after submitting a series of stories regarding the West Chicago Teachers’ Association decision to end teacher volunteer participation in clubs and after-school activities.

“I really invested a lot of time writing those teacher strike stories and I felt very happy that NISPA recognized my hard work,” Vivaldo said.

This is Vivaldo’s third year on the Wildcat Chronicle and not the first time Vivaldo has earned an award.

“Last year, I did receive an honorable mention (from NISPA) for one of my stories. I thought I was going to receive, at most, an honorable mention again this year, but I ended up getting such a higher honor,” Vivaldo said.

Vivaldo has not only learned about herself but she has succeeded academically because of her experience with journalism.

“Journalism has really helped me become more confident in my writing and in myself. I have grown so much as a writer and a leader,” Vivaldo said. “It’s helped me a lot in other classes besides journalism and outside of school as well. Especially this year, it helped me a lot with my college and scholarship essays.”

Although Vivaldo plans to attend Benedictine University to major in health science she hopes for more students to try the journalism class.

“It’s such a wonderful class and program and it’s so underrated. I really hope the class grows,” Vivaldo said.

Vivado advises future reporters to never give up.

“The role of a reporter is a difficult, but rewarding one. There’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it. You just have to continue to push through and find your motivation. In the end, the benefits of being a reporter are overwhelmingly worth it,” Vivaldo said.