The top half of the graphic has a purple background with a large circular headshot of Stan Zoller. Beneath this is text that reads, "Buffalo Grove, Illinois." The bottom half of the graphic is maroon with the JEA logo and text that reads, "2024 Candace and John Bowen Adviser First Amendment Leadership Award"

Stan Zoller, MJE, is the inaugural winner of the Candace and John Bowen Adviser First Amendment Leadership Award. This annual award recognizes a JEA member whose work has actively supported, defended and fought for student journalists and their advisers on the local, state or national level. The award is endowed by Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE, John Bowen, MJE, and Tom Eveslage, who are long-time crusaders for student press rights.

Zoller has been involved with journalism for all of his adult life, beginning as a staff writer at the Pioneer Press in 1973. He moved on to teaching and advising in 1999, working first at Waukegan (Illinois) High School and then at Rolling Meadow (Illinois) High School. In 2013, he began teaching journalism at Lake Forest (Illinois) College, retiring in 2020.

During his time as an adviser, he co-facilitated JEA Outreach Academy, was an elected member of the JEA board of directors and served as the JEA state director for Illinois. He was named a Dow Jones News Fund Special Recognition Adviser in 2010 and a Distinguished Yearbook Adviser in 2011. He is an NSPA Pioneer and a winner of the JEA Medal of Merit. He received a JEA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

“Stan Zoller is an outstanding recipient to kick off our award,” Candace said on behalf of the judging team. “He has done so much for so many years to help all advisers — to pass New Voices in Illinois, to support teachers who are having censorship issues and so much more.”

Kristin Taylor, MJE, head of scholastic journalism at Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles, said she couldn’t imagine someone more qualified for this award.

“Stan has given decades of his life to support scholastic journalists and the scholastic journalism community at large, but his tireless commitment to students’ and advisers’ rights — even years after his retirement — is a perfect example of true First Amendment leadership,” Taylor said. “As the scholastic press rights director from 2020-2024, I witnessed Stan’s commitment again and again. Whether jumping to the aid of someone contacting the Panic Button, writing countless blogs for the SPRC website about current events threatening press freedom or working to pass Illinois’ 2016 New Voices law and, later, seeking to amend it to make it more robust, Stan manifests his passion for the First Amendment in concrete action.”

By Louisa Avery, MJE, awards chair

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