Monday, June 02, 2003
Freedom Forum Diversity Institute welcomes 3rd class of journalism fellows
Graduates of first 2 classes will return to build on their newsroom experiences
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute welcomed its third class of journalism fellows yesterday. The 12-week training program at Vanderbilt University is designed for people of color who want to become journalists but have not had formal journalism training. Among the 12 new Diversity Institute fellows are Adrienne Aguirre, a social worker who works with teen parents, homeless people and troubled youths; Sabrina Brown, a licensed sales optician; and Vincent Davis, a U.S. Air Force retiree who dabbled in art throughout his 22-year military career.
“We are delighted to welcome our third class,” said Wanda Lloyd, executive director of the Diversity Institute. “I’m confident that after having the opportunity to study with professionals representing a variety of journalism experiences and backgrounds, they will take their new skills and valuable perspectives, energy and enthusiasm to their communities’ newspapers.”
Diversity Institute fellows are people seeking a mid-career change or recent college graduates who did not major in journalism. Applicants are nominated by newspaper editors, generally in the applicant’s hometown. Participating newspapers agree to hire their nominees as full-time journalists after they have completed the program, which consists of 12 weeks of hands-on training introducing the fellows to all aspects of print journalism — reporting, writing, editing, visual journalism, media ethics and journalism history. Seventeen fellows have graduated from the Diversity Institute since the program began in June 2002.
Fellows from the first two classes will return to the Diversity Institute this summer for three days of advanced workshops and discussions about their newsroom experiences since they graduated from the program. “The editors of our 17 graduates are telling us their Diversity Institute-trained journalists are making positive contributions at their newspapers,” Lloyd said. “We want to build upon the good work they are doing through this session and ongoing mentoring.”
Diversity Institute fellows are taught at the John Seigenthaler Center, a Freedom Forum facility on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Participants are housed in campus apartments and receive a small stipend during the program. The Freedom Forum pays all expenses.
New fellows at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute and their sponsoring newspapers:
- Adrienne Aguirre – North County Times, Vista, Calif.
- Sabrina Brown – The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Danyel Daniels – Standard Times, St. Angelo, Texas
- Vincent Davis – San Antonio (Texas) Express-News
- Charlene Draper – The Marshall (Texas) News Messenger
- Latisha Gray – The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
- Joice Anderson Jeffries – The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn.
- May Lee Johnson – South Bend (Ind.) Tribune
- Leah Jones – Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wis.
- Darshana “Pinky” Mehta Kansupada – Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal
- Guadalupe “Wally” Rendon – Journal Times, Racine, Wis.
- Clarence Edward Wilson – Morning News, Savannah, Ga.
For additional information about the third Diversity Institute class or general information about the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, including application information, visit the Diversity Institute Web site (www.diversityinstitute.org).
The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, Va., is a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The foundation focuses on three main priorities: the Newseum, First Amendment issues and diversity in U.S. daily newspaper newsrooms.
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