The Impact won four New York Press Association awards in 2025 for writing and reporting, with two awards earning first-place honors.
This was the second time The Impact has won two first-place writing awards in the same year.
Cassidy Robideau won two first-place awards, as top columnist in the state and as the first-place finisher in the inaugural award year that the Special Recognition category was offered, which is a community service project highlighting a student publication’s role in improving or informing the community
Her column, The Echoes of Birch and Cedar, often focused on her experiences as a Native American college student, from her days as a competitive cheerleader to her efforts to keep her sacred traditions alive. Her winning columns were titled The Price of Native Joy, recognizing that growing up Indigenous comes with pride and hardship, and Thanksgiving: America’s Most Successful Piece of Propaganda, in which she interprets the holiday and its relationship to colonialism.
In a category with many fine entries, this writer stands out for the subject matter she writes about and the passion with which she brings to her columns,” said the judges’ panel. “I enjoyed each read and was enlightened about the plight and struggles of the Native American community. Well done.”
“I couldn’t be happier for Cassidy,” said Michael Perrota, who has been the advisor to the college newspaper since 2004. “She brings a fire to her columns that demands respect.”
She also won first place in the Special Recognition category for her news story titled Who Cleans Up After Ford? The Ongoing Contamination of the Ramapough Lenape Community.
“This deeply reported piece powerfully centers Indigenous voices to expose the long-term human cost of environmental justice, combining historical context, lived experience, and accountability journalism with clarity and compassion,” said the judges.
In the news reporting category, junior Gabby Jiminez won second place for the story “Facing The Truth About Human Trafficking.”
“Well researched, thorough reporting on a difficult subject. Good job.”
“The News category, along with the Feature Category, is the most competitive,” said Perrota. “So if you can place in those categories, you are really learning your craft. Many more great things to come from Gabby next year.”
Jiminez won her third NYPA award with a second-place finish in the Special Recognition Category, alongside colleague Bri Nicotina, as they interviewed survivors of Scientology about their road back to clarity in an article titled “The Cost of Leaving.”
“This was a very important piece for these women to write,” said Perrota. “They worked on this article for a very long time.”
The NYPA is an annual contest that judges several categories, and every college in New York State is eligible. The contest is judged on a calendar year, and every submission must be published by Dec. 31. The size of the college, staff, or budget is not taken into consideration during the awards process. Just the top collegiate work, regardless of the school.
The Impact had won four awards from 2007 to 2014, but it has ballooned that total to 54 in the last 12 years.
“It’s never easy,” said Perrota. “The contest becomes more competitive every year. We love the challenge.”
The Impact staff, along with colleagues from the Communications and the Arts department, have revised The Impact for the future. The school publication will cease publishing hard copies and move to an all-digital format at www.theimpactnew.com, but it will also change direction.
“We are going to offer not just news, but become an arts and entertainment publication embracing the many facets of multi-media,” Perrota said. “The redesign will be a fun process. The future is bright and beautiful.”
