The Iowa City Press-Citizen Student of the Week poll has returned for another round of voting.
Each week, Johnson County high school principals and faculty are asked to nominate students who excel in and out of the classroom.
The public can vote at press-citizen.com until noon on Thursday, Oct. 9. The winner will be announced on Friday, and an accompanying story will be published in the Press-Citizen.
Students from public and private high schools in Johnson County are eligible to participate.
Iowa City High School senior Evan Stucky was the Press-Citizen’s most recent Student of the Week.
Here are this week’s nominees:
Jillian Elijah, Solon High School
Jillian Elijah is one of the top students academically in the graduating class of 2026 and is a student leader. Elijah is a member of the volleyball and track teams, as well as the National Honor Society, and has recently started a social media student club at Solon High School.
“(Elijah’s) positive attitude and kind ways make our high school a better place each day,” said principal Drew Bunkers.
Lily Rantanen, Iowa City High School
Lily Rantanen is a senior at Iowa City High School. In her senior year, she has a heavy course load and is involved in a myriad of extracurricular activities. In the 2025-26 academic year, Rantanen is the executive editor of City High’s student newspaper, “The Little Hawk.”
“The Little Hawk” has earned multiple National Scholastic Press Association Finalist nominations for the previous school year, with its work ranking in the top 10 nationally. Rantanen’s individual finalist considerations include “News Story of the Year,” two “Design of the Year” nods, and “Social Media Promotions.”
About Student of the Week
The Press-Citizen’s Student of the Week is a weekly contest throughout the academic year. Polls will open on Mondays and close on Thursdays. Students from public and private high schools in the Iowa City area are eligible to participate.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Vote for the Iowa City Press-Citizen Student of the Week for Oct. 9
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
