Briefly 4-18-13

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of African descent (i.e. African-American, Caribbean, etc.), and submit a completed application form available from SFBJA.
College eligibility requirements include a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted). Applicants must include a copy of an official transcript for the most recently completed semester or grading period.
Students must provide recommendation letters from three instructors, counselors or administrators that indicate the student is of outstanding moral character and in good standing within the school community. The letter also should point out examples of how the student has demonstrated an interest and talent in journalism. Also required is an essay that answers the question: “Why are journalists of color necessary in shaping the delivery of news and other information?”
Two samples of work that show the applicant’s talent, such as news stories written, pages designed, web sites created (send URL), broadcast tape, etc should be provided. Photographers and graphic artists should submit a small portfolio of their work.
Each finalist will undergo a personal interview with the SFBJA scholarship committee. The completed application and materials must be postmarked by April 30 and mailed to: SFBJA Scholarship Committee, Attn: Dwight Lauderdale Scholarship Award, P.O. Box 398805, Miami Beach, FL 33239.

1st U of I student president
CHICAGO — A University of Illinois student who became the first African American elected Student Senate president has won an honor from Chicago’s DuSable Museum of African American History. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the museum gave 21-year-old Damani Bolden a “Rising Star”award.
University officials said Bolden beat three other candidates with 59 percent of the vote, the first time in the university’s 146-year history that an African-American student will hold the position.
Bolden is a Chicago Public Schools graduate.