7 fellows begin Diversity Institute
01.29.04
The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute launched its fifth class of fellows who are mid-career people of color being trained as professional journalists. Participants are nominated by local newspapers and will return to those communities to work in professional reporting and copy editing roles upon completion of the intensive 12-week program in Nashville, on the campus of Vanderbilt University.
Here are the participants in the new Diversity Institute class and their responses on why they wanted to be a part of this program.
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Marci Creps (The Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.) — "I always wanted to be a journalist. For a long time I've loved to write … loved just the whole process. I find it incredibly fascinating. So when I was approached about this program, I jumped on it. I wasn't really sure about it for awhile because I was leaving my family, but my husband said to me it's a really short amount of time in the span of our lives. Because of what he said to me, I'm here."
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Margie Davis (South Bend (Ind.) Tribune) — "I didn't realize for a long time how much I loved journalism. But when I look back over my life, I've always been in it. Every school I've ever gone to, I started a column for the newspapers. Sometimes it just takes a while for it to sink in. When I got approached with the idea of writing for the paper, I thought - this makes sense, this feels right. So I left nursing to do this. I feel like we're all sort of on the edge of something really interesting."
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Joe Manuel Rodriguez (San Angelo (Texas) Standard Times) — "I was the first one in my family to graduate from college. … After I graduated, I had planned on going to law school, but that didn't happen. So I started writing [columns] for the newspaper there - the San Angelo Standard-Times - and it became one of those things where I realized though I didn't go to law school, I was still affecting people's lives because what I wrote affected people, and I got feedback from them. And that's what really brought me to where I am today because I was like, 'You know what, I could do so much with my writing.'"
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Leonard Thornton (Times-Mail, Bedford, Ind.) — "I'm a grandfather and great-grandfather, and I'm raising two great-grandkids. I really wanted to do some writing when I was younger … but I just never did get around to it. I've always wanted to write a book about religion. I'm a deacon and have been for 20 years. I took this opportunity to take this job because I think I can apply it to my church work and in our community; we have a fairly diversified community, one where we get along very well. I think I can do some things that can really enlighten things in our area."
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Shauna Watkins (The Reporter-Times, Martinsville, Ind.) — "I just graduated from college in May. I guess I'm still kind of idealistic. … I think one of the reasons I want to do journalism is so I can find out about myself in a way that I can't otherwise. … I've always liked to write, and I've always loved to read. I'm a big book worm. So I think writing just goes along with my love of books; I love to express myself in my writing, and I think by being a journalist I'll be able to help people get to know who I am by my writing."
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Rochelle Williams (The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer) — "This is an opportunity for me to return to the town where I went to high school and do the thing that I love. I love to write; I love to read; I love the news; I love to research; I love politics; I like to know what's going on, and I think it will really be an honor for me to be able to be the person who is doing that for other people. This program is one of the few ways for me to be able to make a career change, return home, and be the journalist that I've always wanted to be."
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Shanika Williams (The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News) — "Growing up, I admired two groups of people - teachers and journalists. And journalists always seemed to be a little bit out of my reach, although they kept me connected with the community and the world. I ended up being a teacher for four years. … The older I become, the more realistic becoming a journalist (is) to me, and I realize it's an attainable goal. … I just want to become a part of the community that delivers news to the world because I think people rely on journalists daily for information or entertainment. I want to be a part of the group of people that provides that information to everybody else."