SDABJ Calls High School and College Students to Submit to Scholarship

Calling all high school and college students! The San Diego Association of Black Journalists (SDABJ) is still accepting scholarship applications through March 31. The scholarship is open to high school and college students who have an interest or show promise in journalism, public relations or any media-related field. Applicants must be from San Diego County or go to school in the area.

Since we were founded, SDABJ has awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to deserving and aspiring communicators with ties to the San Diego community. The award ceremony is scheduled for early June. More details on the in-person ceremony will be announced later this spring.

The following four scholarships are available:

• (1) $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to a high school senior who is interested in majoring in journalism and/or communications-related fields at a four-year college or university.
• (1) $1,000 community college scholarship is available for students who are either currently enrolled or looking to attend community college, taking journalism and/or communications-related courses, and are interested in pursuing a career as a journalist. Must provide proof of enrollment.
• (1) $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to a student currently enrolled in a four-year college or university who is majoring or minoring in journalism and/or mass communication. This student must be interested in pursuing a career as a journalist.
• (1) $1,500 scholarship will be awarded to a student currently enrolled in a four-year college or university who is majoring or minoring in journalism and/or communications-related fields. Students with a high interest in public relations, marketing, or any communications-related field are encouraged to apply.

“Our scholarship program gives San Diego area high school and college students an opportunity to achieve their dreams of working in journalism, media or communications by not only providing much-needed funding to support their career paths, but also opening the doors to our network of already-established professionals,” says Omari Fleming, president, San Diego Association of Black Journalists. “We are calling on all educators, parents, guardians, friends, and mentors to encourage the students in their lives to apply for our scholarship to help bring them steps closer to achieving their dreams.”

Notable communicators that have received a scholarship from SDABJ include Khari Johnson, senior staff writer with WIRED Magazine and Lauren J. Mapp, staff writer with The San Diego Union-Tribune. For more information on SDABJ’s scholarship program and application requirements, visit sdabj.org.

About San Diego Association of Black Journalists
The San Diego Association of Black Journalists (SDABJ) is the local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). SDABJ is a 501(c) (3) organization, and was founded in 2000 by a small group of journalists and communications professionals, including Jim Trotter, Maria Hunt, Jerry McCormick, Ozzie Roberts, Gil Griffin, Bernie Jones, Samuel Autman, Lisa Lake, Booker Crenshaw and Kelly Williams. SDABJ has approximately twenty registered members working in print, broadcast, public relations and academia.

The nonprofit organization’s goals include increasing the number of Black journalists in management positions and encouraging Black journalists to become entrepreneurs. SDABJ works to foster an exemplary group of professionals that honors excellence and outstanding achievements by Black journalists, and outstanding achievement in the media industry as a whole, particularly when it comes to providing balanced coverage of the Black community and society at large. The organization works with high schools and colleges to identify and encourage Black students to become journalists and to diversify faculties and related curriculum, and are also committed to providing informational and training services to the general public. All fundraising efforts go toward academic scholarships and its student training programs such as “Pro for a Day,” a journalism boot camp where students are taught how to produce their own news stories on a variety of platforms under the tutelage of professional journalists. Learn more at www.sdabj.org.