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By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Illinois Press Association
DECATUR – Some folks like to get away to London to witness the majesty of Buckingham Palace.
To attend evening Mass in breathtaking St. Paul’s Cathedral.
To enjoy a vintage fish and chips experience, made complete by a pint in lackluster weather.
Millikin University senior Athena Pajer, on the other hand, basked in the Evening Standard, mingled with journalists from the stalwart newsroom, and dived headfirst into researching press freedom around the world.
Upon her return in January 2020 from a semester studying abroad, jet lag be damned, she couldn’t wait to apply what she’d learned in her capstone project: a United States press freedom index.
“I felt very motivated right in January, but it was hard to jump right back in,” Pajer, the 21-year-old editor-in-chief of Millikin’s student newspaper, The Decaturian. “Just coming back to Decatur was a huge shift. I had reverse culture shock.”
From the perspective of Scott Lambert, an associate professor at Millikin and the newspaper’s adviser, Pajer simply resumed her modus operandi.
“When she came back, she had a million new ideas she thought she needed to do,” Lambert said. “She’ll try to do everything herself, and she’ll end up with 10 to 12 plates spinning at the same time. As an adviser, you find you become more of a psychiatrist than anything else, so that students who want to do this don’t burn themselves out.
“18-hour days are coming.”
So was a pandemic.
“Right as I was getting my footing again, and we were doing some great stories, that’s of course when COVID hit,” Pajer said.
As an old soul who takes immense satisfaction in correcting passive voice writing, and as an editor who feeds off others’ success, Pajer misses the in-person process.
Students were given the option to work for The Decaturian from anywhere, so many of them are home with their families.
“Having them gone has really sucked. It’s sucked a lot,” Pajer said. “They’re just really great people, who pump up the Decaturian.”
Among the missing is her “right-hand woman”, Managing Editor Sydney Sinks.
“She’s just dynamite. I consider her to be a better journalist than me, and I have a huge ego,” Pajer said. “She has an interview style that’s almost the opposite of mine, and it’s fascinating. She has the ability to almost shrink herself to make herself the least intimidating person ever. People just open up and tell her anything.”
Pajer longs to see the satisfaction on her colleagues’ faces when The Decaturian hits their desks.
“Whenever they write a great story, and they get the recognition they deserve, I feel a lot better in that way,” Pajer said. “If every week went that I didn’t have my name in the paper, but everyone else did great work, that would be great. My happier place is when I’m really watching other people grow and do great reporting. I hope I make this clear to writers every day that I care about them.”
“Athena is a natural leader, and she’s the kind of leader who’s able to lead by making everyone else feel like they’re important,” Lambert said.
As a writer, Pajer can be a bit possessive when it comes to off-campus reporting and the happenings around her hometown.
“That’s where I can use my secret stash of knowledge that only Decatur residents know,” she said.
So which does she prefer: writing or editing?
“I flip-flop every day,” she said. “I as a person am happiest on a team. I’m an extrovert. I’ve tried to build my skill set, where I’m capable of doing a lot of different things.”
Beyond writing and editing, Pajer has done a ton of layout, and has also worked with audio and video.
“I’m not perfect in all of those things, but I can get quite good at those if I try,” she said.
“She wants to learn how to do everything,” Lambert said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a student, or worked with someone as a reporter who wanted to do everything.”
“I’ve prepared myself to be able to fit in anywhere, and do whatever a story requires,” Pajer said. “I hope to find friends and people along the way who can join in an existential, overarching, freedom of press mission.”
Pajer entertained an interview with the Illinois Press Association in mid-February, while she was wrapping up layout of a special issue on the Black Lives Matter movement.
In covering the civil rights upheaval, Pajer has had to be deliberate about not allowing herself to be consumed by the issues, so that her opinions don’t overtly bleed into her coverage. She’s cognizant that if they do, they could jeopardize her perceived objectivity and, in turn, her reliability in the eyes of readers.
“I’ve been battling this, and I think every journalist has, is ‘What is truth anymore?’ ” Pajer said.
“Whenever we get into one side, when can you say, ‘No. Alternative facts don’t exist. That’s literally the opposite of something that exists.’ ”
Whether it’s been while editing Features Editor Jeana Pierson’s piece on a former Millikin student who vanished during a Black Lives Matter protest in Chicago, or while covering an anti-gun protest in Decatur in March 2018, she’s leaned on facts to tell the story and leave no space for questioning them.
She can also use the details of an event to inject her emotions, while not explicitly expressing her opinion.
For instance, take her simple, effective lede that makes you feel the chill and the weight of that March for Our Lives protest.
“Wind and hail could not stop over a hundred Decatur citizens from marching for peace,” the March 25 reads.
“I kind of hid behind the objectivity in this way: If there was a story that would really pull at my heartstrings, but I knew it was an important story to tell, I’d get through it by writing the simplest sentence to get the point across,” Pajer said. “I’d look for facts to add to the story to make things more impactful.”
Simply acknowledging the wind and the hail, and the people who forged through it for peace, helps what she calls a “very dry piece” cut a little bit, while assuaging any risk of a descent into nihilism.
“That’s what’s rescued me from thinking nothing is real,” said Pajer, who recently finished her latest binge of “The West Wing.” “It’s OK to pull a little bit of Aaron Sorkin into this now, to really describe what the scene was like. In the end, part of what I witness is my subjective truth, but I’m still telling the truth. I found that human element that’s in me and other people. That’s what can also save journalism, and save the truth.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
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