Former Oakton Student Wins Pulitzer Prize

(May 15, 2012) Former Oakton student John Sullivan co-led the team of Philadelphia Inquirer reporters that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service journalism on April 16.

An Evanston resident who now teaches investigative reporting at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Sullivan attended Oakton in 1989 and 1990. He served as the College’s 2010 commencement speaker.

Sullivan and his team won the Pulitzer for the seven-part series “Assault on Learning” revealed that violence in the city’s schools was widespread and underreported, with 30,000 serious incidents over the last five school years.

The Pulitzer Web site touted the Philadelphia Inquirer news team for the “exploration of pervasive violence in the city’s schools, using powerful print narratives and videos to illuminate crimes committed by children against children and to stir reforms to improve safety for teachers and students.”

“I was a finalist for a Pulitzer in 2009 and I thought that was as close as I would get,” says Sullivan. “I was very surprised to win especially since it was my last investigative series before leaving for Northwestern. Winning a Pulitzer is a great honor.”

Prior to Oakton, Sullivan worked at an upholstery store for four years and he credits Oakton for putting him on his current career path. After attending Oakton, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell College and master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He served as a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer from 2002 – 2011.

“Oakton was a great start for me,” he said. “When I came back to school, Oakton helped me to rebuild my academic career. At Oakton, I gained the foundation I needed to be successful.”