Oak Leaf writers were recognized as some of the best in the west during the Society of Professional Journalists’ Western Regional Conference on April 18, 2015 at the Whitcomb Hotel in San Francisco. Nathan Quast won first place in the Editorial category for his piece “Students deserve a voice.” JoshuOne Barnes was a finalist in the breaking news category (10,000+ students) for his story, “BSU students encounters racism.” Julie Lee, Nate Voge, Jeanine Flaton-Buckley and Estefany Gonzales were finalists in the feature news (10,000+ students) for their article “Beyond stereotypes: Homeless yet hopeful in Sonoma County.”

The articles were competing with large two- and four-year schools across the region, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada. Congratulations to the winners.