Cabrillo College’s Journal X Student Magazine ‘Superior’

Cabrillo College’s Xinachtli Journal, a social justice literary arts magazine known as Journal X, has been ranked ‘Superior’ by the National Council of Teachers of English.

Superior means the magazine scored 82-89 points just behind those ranked First Class with 90-100 points.

Journal X, founded in 2021, is curated by English 1B students at Cabrillo College’s Watsonville Center. The magazine features poetry, stories, essays, photography, and artwork from emerging and established artists in Santa Cruz County and beyond.

A celebration takes place in May at the Watsonville Center featuring writers and artists, and the Journal is released in the summer.

Schools in 46 states and five countries nominated 422 student magazines for the 2024 Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines program.

Middle schools, high schools, and higher education institutions competed.

“We are so honored to receive this award,” said Dr. Victoria Bañales, Journal X editorial director and Cabrillo College English instructor. “I am continuously amazed by our student-run Journal X Editorial Board for the time, talent, and care they put into curating each issue, and by our contributors — their talent and creativity shine in the pages of each issue.”

Dr. Bañales, the 2025-27 Watsonville Poet Laureate, will host public poetry reading events to advance the literary arts in Watsonville.

“Being part of the student editorial team for Journal X was an enriching
experience,” said Luis Blas, Cabrillo student and Journal X Editorial Board member. “Collaborating with my peers to bring together the creative voices that feature our community’s essence was so gratifying. Receiving this award showcases our dedication and passion for every step of the process.”

“I am still stoked about enrolling in English 1B at Cabrillo College — never in my life did I think I would be part of the editorial board for Journal X with Doctora Victoria Bañales,” said Cabrillo student Marisa Rameño-Amezcua, also on the Editorial Board. “Journal X is an amazing journal created by beautiful talent. The feeling of creating a journal that brings together different parts of the world, countries, cultures, backgrounds, and colors is what touched me the most!”

“I’m very grateful to be part of Xinachtli Journal (Journal X) as the magazine’s graphic designer,” said Cabrillo student Lorena Lia Mansilla. “It was a pleasure to create a layout that harmoniously combines writings, poetry, illustrations, and photographs. Each element was carefully crafted to reflect the essence of the project, blending graphics and text with typography that reinforced its message. For me, this project was a way to visually contribute to sharing our people’s stories, ensuring that aesthetics and content complement each other perfectly.”

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For information about REALM, see: https://ncte.org/awards/program-to-recognize-in-student-literary-magazines/.

Read Journal X at www.cabrillo.edu/journal-x/