2006 Department of Communication Scholarship Awards Ceremony

Posted: 04.24.06

On April 6, 2006, the Department of Communication held its annual Scholarship Awards ceremony in the Walker-Ames room. Along with the presenters, many of the scholarship recipients' family members and friends attended. Frank Blethen, publisher of The Seattle Times was also there, along with several members of the Wilson family.

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Seattle Times/Blethen Family Memorial Scholarship

This fund was created with an initial commitment from the Blethen Family to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students in the journalism program.

Presenter: William Blethen
Treasurer and Corporate Risk Manager, The Seattle Times

Scholarship Recipients

Erin Hicks – Erin Hicks is a Journalism major who hopes to work for a major metropolitan newspaper or magazine. She has done a public relations internship for People magazine and a journalism internship for Columns, and this quarter is interning for Tamara Wilson Public Relations. She has worked for The Daily as a columnist and news writer and last winter quarter was features editor. She is vice president of the student chapter of Society for Professional Journalists and was recently awarded the Region 10 Mark of Excellence Award in the feature writing category. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Mytam Nguyen – Mytam Nguyen is a Journalism major with a minor in International Studies. She would like to go to graduate school, focusing on international human rights law and magazine journalism. She is very interested in diversity issues and, having grown up in Viet Nam, has developed an interest in examining the disparities between developing countries and the West. She plans to return to Viet Nam this summer with a CHID program, studying the effects of globalization on the economy and the people of Viet Nam. Her goals include helping to increase the presence of minorities and in diversity issues in the United States media systems, and to publish an international magazine for Western youths with content from writers, photographers, and artists from developing countries. She is a student representative on the steering committee for the 2006 Career Discovery Week, is a co-founder of the Media Project (working on a publication for students of color), and she writes for The Daily. She has also served as the co-chair for the Asian American Student Union and was the Inroads intern for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, a senator for the ASUW senate, and has served on several diversity committees on campus. She is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Manuel Valdes – Manuel Valdes is a Journalism major who plans on double majoring in International Studies with a focus on Latin America. Last quarter he interned with the Skagit Valley Herald through the Legislative Reporting class, covering proceedings in the state legislature. He has been sports editor for The Daily. Next year, he plans to travel abroad. This summer he will be interning with the Skagit Valley Herald. He is originally from Guatemala and would like to work in a Latin American country, writing for a Latin newspaper. He has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout his academic career.

Journalism Foreign Intrigue Endowed Scholarship

This fund was created by a graduate of the UW journalism program to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students in the journalism program to travel overseas and work at a foreign newspaper.

Presenter: Beth Erickson
UW alumna: BA, Journalism 1963
Chief of the Vancouver, WA bureau, The Oregonian (retired)

Scholarship Recipient

Jason McBride – Jason McBride is a Journalism major who is interested in political reporting. This summer, he will be working as an intern for The Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He is also interested in international affairs, particularly in the influence of China and the Asian economic bloc on world politics. He has written for Real Change, Northwest Asian Weekly, the Capitol Hill Times, and The Daily. Last quarter he interned with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, through the department’s legislative reporting class, covering proceedings in the state legislature. He has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout his academic career.

Excellence in Journalism

This fund was created by a graduate of the UW journalism program to support students pursuing a career in newspaper journalism.

Presenter: Beth Erickson
UW alumna: BA, Journalism 1963
Chief of the Vancouver, WA bureau, The Oregonian (retired)

Scholarship Recipient

Marisa McQuilken – Marisa McQuilken is a Journalism major who is interested in political reporting. She will be participating in the Institute on Political Journalism this summer in Washington D.C. She wants to do print journalism, but is also interested in broadcast. She also enjoys drama and the theater. She writes a column on national politics for The Daily and has been an editorial news intern for Seattle Weekly. Marisa has volunteered with the Disabled Student Services here at the UW, and is presently a volunteer with Young Democrats of the UW, and with Seattle Sanseis, an organization for Seattle’s Japanese community. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Kevin Ellis Scholarship

The Kevin Ellis Scholarship was established in 1985 by his parents in an effort to recognize their son's interest in the field of international communication. Ellis graduated from the University in 1981. He, along with five traveling companions, was kidnapped by rebel dissidents in Zimbabwe in 1982, while on a tour of Africa to learn more about the country and its people. His death was confirmed in 1985.

Presenter: Nancy Rivenburgh
Communication professor

Scholarship Recipients

Colleen Baker – Colleen Baker is studying in Prague spring quarter, 2006. She has a double major in Communication and CHID. She has studied abroad in Peru, Buenos Aires and Cape Town, all with CHID programs. She is interested in political communication, particularly in grassroots movements stemming from community organizations and NGOs. Upon graduation, she would like to travel and work, or possibly go to law school. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Jaime Garrand – Jaime Garrand is interested in international communication. She plans to study abroad with the Department in Rome winter quarter, 2007. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and is currently the Vice President of Member Development on her chapter's Executive Council. She is also a volunteer for the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation and Tree house Foundation (providing children in foster care with basic necessities and toys). She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Camilla Mamedova – Camilla Mamedova is originally from Azerbaijan. She speaks both Azeri and Russian fluently and is interested in broadcast journalism and international relations. She plans on going to graduate school and then would like to work as a news anchor or foreign correspondent to Moscow, working for CNN. She has been a reporter for the Puyallup Post, is a participant in the Boys and Girls Club of Tacoma, and is a volunteer with the Slavic Christian Center, helping new Eastern European immigrants with their basic needs. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Crystal Nam – Crystal Nam is a Journalism major and Honors student; she goes to Slovenia in the summer of 2006 for a conflict studies program where she will be conducting a research project on the political effects of Slovenian journalism. In the fall, she is in London to intern for a political consultancy firm, working with Parliament and media relations. Her long-term goal is to attend law school and to work in international relations. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, where she is the publicity director, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, has served as Chief of Staff for the Washington State Model United Nations, has tutored for the English Department’s Writing Center and for Pipeline, and has been an intern at the Public Defender’s Association. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Marty Wilson Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1996 to honor Marty Wilson. Wilson’s professional career began in 1957 with the development of a program about education from the point of view of a parent. She produced numerous programs for KOMO-TV and served as a visiting lecturer in the School of Communications. In 1984 she was named National Presswoman of the Year and had many achievements and awards throughout her creative and courageous.

Presenter: Marliss Edwards
UW alumna: BA, 1962 College of Education
the oldest daughter of Marty Camp Wilson, she shares her mother’s enthusiasm and dedication to education and communication.

Scholarship Recipient

Shanelle Smith – Shanelle Smith is a Journalism major, double majoring in business. Her goal is to become a news broadcaster. She is interested in social issues like family health and homelessness. She is presently interning with KOMO’s Northwest Afternoon. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority where she is a risk interest house manager, and has done study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she volunteered for “Jim Jam”, a global health organization that provides food and activities for homeless children in Johannesburg townships. She has worked with Hands for a Bridge, an outreach for Seattle high school students to students in Cape Town, and has served a foreign missionary service in Guatemala. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Dan Warner/Bob Willey Memorial Scholarship

The Puget Sound Advertising Federation made initial contributions to this fund in 1978 to honor Robert Willey, a 1953 graduate of the School, who received national recognition for his expertise in radio advertising. Dan Warner was likewise honored by the PSAF for his significant contributions to the field.

Presenter: Tod Visdal
UW alumnus: BA, Communication 1996
Current president of Ad Club Seattle and member since 1994

Scholarship Recipients

Nicole Griffin – Nicole Griffin is planning to attend graduate school, studying either marketing, public relations or law. She would also like to work in public relations in the sports or travel industry. She plans to participate in the Department’s Rome program winter quarter, 2007 and is currently interning with the Seattle Mariners. She has been an instructor through the Pipeline Project - Literacy Through Photography project, helping to teach third grade students about photography. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Regina Ramirez – Regina Ramirez is planning to double majoring in Business Administration and Communication. One of her career goals is to be a market researcher, using her Communication skills and her math and logic skills. She is a member of FASA, the Filipino American Student Association, and has volunteered with SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Big Brother Big Sister, and Future Business Leaders of America. Regina is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA)

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA is a group of writers and broadcast journalists who live and work in the Northwest and many members have national venues. Annually for the last ten years, NWAPA has sponsored and organized a contest to choose the Family Sport Utility Vehicle of the year. The winning vehicle is one that best reflects all the necessary components that makes it especially compatible with our climate and topography. The group has benefited from this program and funds scholarships for younger communication students.

Presenter: Bill McCallum
Founder, Auto News and president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association

Scholarship Recipient

Justus Hyatt – Justus Hyatt is a Journalism major with a minor in Earth and Space Sciences. She is interested in photography and the sciences, especially geology. Her ideal job would be to combine all her interests. Justus has served an internship with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she helped put together images and press releases on hurricanes and developed web pages. She has also been a sports correspondent for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She is a snowboard and ski instructor, has served with the U.S. Forest Service as a wild land firefighter and in trail maintenance. She has participated in the UW’s Alternative Spring Break, volunteered for “Making Connections: Women in Science and Engineering,” and volunteered as a soccer coach and at the Enumclaw Community Hospital in the Medical/surgery ward. She has also tutored middle school students and has been the recipient of several native American scholarships. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Ruddick C. and Cherry Lawrence Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship was established in honor of Ruddick and Cherry Lawrence. Ruddick Lawrence began his professional life as the Director of Publicity for the Detroit Institute of the Arts and then went on to serve as manager at American Boy magazine and Fortune magazine. He was vice president of the New York Stock Exchange from 1953 to 1968 and founded his own consulting firm, Lawrence Associates, in 1977. Throughout his career, he was committed to community service and education.

Presenter: Dr. Dana Lawrence
UW Alumna: Residency in 1971 and Fellowship in 1972 (Anesthesiology)
Anesthesiologist, Evergreen Hospital Medical Center
One of six children of Ruddick and Cherry Lawrence

Scholarship Recipients

Emily Fischer - Emily Fisher is double majoring in Communication and Philosophy; she is interested in all aspects of communication. She has been a peer facilitator/teaching assistant for Giorgia Aiello’s Visual Analysis class and she has volunteered for the Seattle Film Festival and for One Reel, doing public relations and advertising. She is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society, the UW Regional Ethics Bowl Team, and she has participated in the 2006 Undergraduate Research Symposium. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Leanne Do – Leanne is double majoring in Communication and Political Science. She is interested in all aspects of communication. Her goal is to work in some capacity that would help others. During spring break she traveled to Eastern Washington with the Pipeline project to help fifth-graders write poetry. She has been a FIG leader, a literacy advocate, a volunteer reader, and a paid tutor with the English Department Writing Center and is presently working with EOP students as an in-class tutor for English 105. Summer, 2006 she will be in Costa Rica studying rainforest ecology and natural history. She is a program coordinator for the ASUW UW Leaders Program, is an Honors Peer Adviser, and she is committed to promoting literacy. In 2005, Leanne was chosen as the UW Homecoming Queen. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Bob Doble Scholarship

The Bob Doble Scholarship was established by Jim and Peg Marshall to honor her son.

Presenter: David Domke
Communication professor

Scholarship Recipient

Maureen Trantham – Maureen Trantham has a double major in Journalism and CHID and is interested in travel and international issues. In 2002, she spent two months in Bangkok as an intern reporter for The Nation newspaper. She would like to be an international correspondent, or do travel writing, or work in diplomacy. She is also involved in advocacy, having participated in the UW Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities, researching the art of child trauma victims, and is interested in relief efforts in third world countries. She spent last spring in Prague and would like to do another study abroad. Maureen has worked as a reporter and editor at The Daily and is the chair of the University Board of Publications. She is currently editing the Anthology Project, a collection of student travel writings, for CHID. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

John Impola Endowment

This endowment was established by Marion Impola, widow of John Impola,

Presenter: David Domke
Communication professor

Scholarship Recipient

Sarah Jeglum – Sarah Jeglum is a Journalism major and is interested in Disability Studies and Advertising. She hopes to do public relations with the U.S. Forest Service during the summer of 2006, and will participate in the Olympia program next year. She writes for The Daily and has served as an editor for the Career Guide. She is an Initial attack firefighter for the Entiat Ranger District in Entiat. She has volunteered for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and she has worked at the Serve Wenatchee Valley Organization's “Feed the Multitude” Thanksgiving event. She also enjoys playing the French horn. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Cassie L. Bryant Scholarship

This scholarship was established in honor of Cassie L. Bryant. Ms. Bryant was elected as the first treasurer of Theta Sigma Phi, the original name of Women in Communications, which is now known as the Association of Women in Communications (AWC). Early in her professional life, she saw the importance of strong local and national organizations committed to the development of women journalists.

Presenter: David Domke
Communication professor

Scholarship Recipient

Lauren Gardner – Lauren is a Journalism major and is interested in broadcasting too. She is also interested in the non-profit sector and in government and politics. Lauren began the Trail Blazers, an outdoor experiential program, within the Rise N Shine organization. It is a support group for children and teens with HIV/AIDS. She has volunteered with Rise N Shine for nine years, has participated in the UW Leadership Program, and has volunteered with Global Volunteers in Montana. Among her awards are the Mary Gates Leadership Endowment in 2005 and the S. Sterling Munro Public Service Fellowship. She has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

John and Harriet Reid Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established in honor of John and Harriet Reid. The Reids raised nine sons and daughters, all of whom earned degrees from the University of Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Reid received honorary degrees from the University in 1941, recognizing them as especially deserving parents. John Reid was a local printer with University Press, who established one of the first open circulation newspapers in the region.

Presenter: David Domke
Communication professor

Scholarship Recipients

Anna Earnest - Anna Earnest is a double majoring in Journalism and Political Science. She wants to work in print journalism, specifically in copy-editing or covering science/technology issues. She plans to enroll in the Olympia program winter quarter, 2007. She is co-copy chief for The Daily and writes a regular opinion column as well as occasional features and news stories. She has held internship positions with Columns, the UW Alumni Association magazine, the UW School of Nursing, and has written for Viewpoints, another publication of the UWAA. Anna will be working in the summer of 2006 as a copy editing intern for The Seattle Times. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.

Elliott Wilson – Elliott Wilson is a Journalism and Political Science major, with a minor in Art History. She is interested in writing, photography, and graphic and web design. She would like to work in print journalism and would like to attend graduate school. She has interned with Real Change newspaper, the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound, and the Washington Wilderness Coalition. She plans to do an internship with the Washington Center, working for a media organization in Washington D.C., and she plans to participate in the Olympia program in 2007. She is a member of the UW sailing team and as a certified instructor she coaches youth in the summer. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and has been on the Dean’s list consistently throughout her academic career.