Chips Watch: Lots of jobs for Spring Scholars

Special to chipsquinn.org

Posted: July 9, 2004

Awards … Maria Montoya (Summer 1999) of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans and Courtnay Peifer (Summer 1996) of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer were finalists for the 2003 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists. The awards recognize local, national and international reporting by journalists under 35.

Harold Goodridge (Summer 1997) won first place in the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association's 2003 editorial contest for a column, “When criminals are stopped dead, they still leave victims.” He is a reporter at the Laurel (Md.) Leader.

In Gannett's quarterly Well Done contest, Michelle Tan (Summer 2000) together with two reporters from the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times were runners-up in the First Amendment: Project Enterprise category. They wrote about issues surrounding gay marriages, adoption and benefits.

Talia Buford

The National Association of Black Journalists selected Talia Buford (Summer 2004) of Hampton University as Student Journalist of the Year. She is an intern at the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y.

Michael Schennum (Summer 2004) was a semi-finalist in the Hearst National Photojournalism Championship. He received a $1,000 scholarship.

The 2004 Spring class is on a hiring roll…

DJ Agcaoili will join his internship newspaper, the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., as a photographer in August. Says Agcaoili, “I'm excited with the move up from being an intern and also flattered by the faith they have in me.”

Tonya Alanez joins the Los Angeles Times in the METPRO program this Fall. She says: “Karen, I can't believe this is happening to me. Thanks for bringing me out here to Florida and helping to prepare me for my future. What a whirlwind. Back to L.A. and traffic, and smog and pretense. And I'm thrilled about it.” She was a Scholar at the Press Journal in Vero Beach, Fla.

Olvia Angulo is now a newsroom clerk and night police reporter for The Daily Review in Hayward, Calif. She was a Scholar at The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune.

Leslie Combs was hired by her internship newspaper, The Santa Fe New Mexican, as a copy editor/designer.

Ivy Dai is back in California and working as a reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune in West Covina. She had worked as an intern at The News-Star in Monroe, La.

Odeen Domingo was hired as a reporter for The Arizona Republic's new Southeast Valley community section. Says Domingo: “I'll be covering local and high school sports, outdoors and recreation in the Chandler/Awahtukee/Gilbert suburbs of Phoenix. … I knew I could weasel my way into a job! Not sure if I accomplished my goal to be The Republic's ‘Best Intern Ever,’ but I'll take solace in getting hired.”

Tamera Manzanares-Dike writes that she has taken a reporting job at the Steamboat Pilot and Today in Steamboat Springs, Colo., about three hours northwest of Denver in the heart of the mountains. She was a Scholar at the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

Yoko Minoura has stayed on as a reporter at her internship newspaper, The Bulletin in Bend, Ore.

Victor Obaseki writes that he will be a general-assignment reporter with the Mineral Wells (Texas) Index, covering education, health and government. He had been an intern at the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner.

Michelle Woo joins other Scholars in Phoenix as an education reporter at The Arizona Republic. She had been an intern at The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.

New hires/new beats … Natasha Bordeaux (Summer 1996) is the new editor of the Todd County Tribune in Mission, S. D. Raven Hill (Summer 1997), a graduate of the Freedom Forum’s ASNE/APME Fellows Program, is now an education reporter at the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman. Art Marroquin (Summer 1997) reports that he is back in journalism and working as a reporter at City News Service in San Diego, Calif.

“After nearly 18 months of searching and interviewing, I got a job ... and not just any job, but the right job,” says Stephanie Miller (Summer 1998). She is the city government and county reporter for the Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram.

Sarah Broom (Summer 2000) was graduated from the University of California-Berkeley in May and will be working as an intern at Time Asia and living in Hong Kong.

Lisa Fernandez (Summer/Fall 2000) writes, “I'll be heading back to the Midwest. I have just accepted a position with The Des Moines Register in Iowa. I'm excited to be making the move and hope to continue making great images.”

Benita Newton (Summer 2000) joins The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, covering small business and nonprofits.

Ben Aguirre Jr. (Summer 2001 and 2002) has joined The Argus in Fremont, Calif. Says Aguirre, “It's the same newspaper chain, ANG Newspapers, but the move is closer to my home (cuts my commute in half).”

Gabriela Guzman (Summer and Fall 2001) joins the Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal in its Santa Fe bureau.

Julie Hubbard (Summer 2001 and 2002) joins The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph as an education reporter.

Angelique Soenarie (Summer 2001) was graduated from Wayne State University and has accepted a position as a military reporter at the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer.

Jerome Nakagawa (Spring 2002) is now a photographer at The Monitor in McAllen, Texas.

Jodie Lau (Summer 2002) is back in Arizona and a copy editor at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix. Says Lau, “I'm still adjusting, but things are going well. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and it's a nice reminder that I have much to learn. Kristen Go (Summer 1996 and 1997) says she's planning a Chipster dinner, so I'm looking forward to that. It's nice to have a connection right away.”

Carolyn Lucas (Summer 2002) joins West Hawaii Today in Kailua-Kona as a reporter.

Shruti Mathur (Summer 2002) was graduated from the University of Minnesota in May and reports that she has been hired by the Minneapolis Star Tribune's new weekly section, West, covering the western suburbs. “I just found out I will be covering schools, which I am really excited about. It will be tough beat though! I'm sure all education reporters can tell me about that one.”

Ishmael Tate (Summer 2002) is now a general-assignment reporter for The Greenville (S.C.) News.

Millete Birhanemaskel (Spring 2003) is back at the Greeley (Colo.) Tribune, her internship newspaper.

Lisa Butt (Spring 2003) joins The Reporter in Vacaville, Calif., as a copy editor.

Jordan Hernandez (Summer 2003) has joined The Advertiser in Lafayette, La., as a business reporter after graduating from the University of Alabama.

Angela Manese-Lee

Angela Manese-Lee (Summer 2003) was graduated from the University of Virginia in May and joins The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, Calif., as a reporter. She was a Chips Quinn intern there last Summer.

Nancy Yang (Spring 2003) was graduated from the University of Minnesota and is an intern at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Vonna Keomanyvong (Summer 2003) was graduated from the University of Kansas in May.

Rachana Rathi (Summer 2003) has been accepted into the Los Angeles Times METPRO this Fall, joining fellow Scholar Tonya Alanez. A graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder, Rathi has an internship this Summer at The Orange County (Calif.) Register.

Mike Osegueda

Mike Osegueda (Summer 2000) shares with us his new pop culture column, which appears each Friday in the Weekend section of The Fresno (Calif.) Bee. Says Osegueda: “It's been cool so far. It's a great opportunity for me. My roommate and I are also writing a video game column now, too.”

Eddy Ramirez (Summer 2001) is a reporting intern at The New York Times.

Fulvio Cativo (Summer 2003) writes that he is a Summer intern at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.

Lianne Milton (Spring 2003) reports that she is a Summer intern at the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. Says Milton, “It’s really hot here.”

Outreach … Four alums were mentors and presenters at the Freedom Forum’s Native American Newspaper Career Conference at the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They were: Kevin Abourezk (Summer 1999), Native issues reporter at Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star; Justin Hayworth (Summer 2000), photographer at Duluth (Minn.) News-Tribune; Seth Prince (Summer 1999), copy editor at The Oregonian in Portland; and Jomay Steen (Summer 1997), reporter at the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal.

More updates … Sheryl Kennedy (Summer 1991) is a senior account executive at Brief & Co. Communications in her hometown of New Orleans. Kennedy finished her MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003.

Vickie Jones (Summer 1993) is a senior consultant at Reingold Inc., a strategic communications and social marketing firm in Washington, D.C.

Grace Uy (Summer 1998) was graduated with an ALM in psychology from the Harvard University Extension School. She also received the dean's prize for the Outstanding ALM Thesis in the Behavioral Sciences titled, "Daily News Reporting and its Role in the Development of Secondary Traumatic Stress in Public Safety Newspaper Reporters." She is moving back to her native Chicago, where she and her fiancé are planning an October wedding.

Julius Tigno (Summer 1998) writes that he is a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Mark Jennings (Summer 2000) received his master’s in divinity from Harvard Divinity School in June. He and his wife, Zerline Hughes, (Summer 1998) are headed to California, where Jennings will be the executive director of the Los Angeles Ten Point Coalition.

Faith Price (Summer 2000) writes from Hilo, Hawaii, where she works as the assistant director for the University of Hawaii-Hilo's Upward Bound Program. “The program focuses on getting low-income, first-generation-to-go-to-college students into higher education. I've been put in charge of our newsletter and program Web site as an outlet for my journalism skills.”

Chaundra Perkins (Summer 2001) was graduated from Florida A&M University in December and is working at VNU Business Media as an assistant editor for two of its trade publications, EMB and Impressions magazines.

Marci Turner (Summer 2001) works for the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History.

Gilbert Cruz (Summer 2003) is back in his hometown, New York City, as editorial assistant in the books department of Entertainment Weekly. Says Cruz, “Undoubtedly, I would not have been able to snag this job if it hadn't been for my time here in Tuscaloosa and the Chips Quinn Scholars program. I will miss this crazy Southern town.”

Another Scholar has moved to the big apple. Tyler Imoto (Summer 2003) joins Sports Illustrated as a designer.

Kadesha Thomas (Spring 2004) has been accepted into Tufts University’s master in public health program for the Fall.

Chris Wallace (Spring 2004) is a training camp intern and game day communications assistant to the Carolina Panthers Football team.

Engagements, weddings and babies … Julie Acosta-Gardner (Summer 2002) is the proud mom to son, Christopher. She and her husband have decided to stay in Italy for three more years and plan free-lance work.

Jenny Sit (Summer 2000) and Eliot got married in March. Says Sit, “As soon as Eliot and I get around to changing our last names legally, we will be Jenny and Eliot Sitwread.

Olivia Nisbet (Summer 2001) and Nate Bucks were married June 19. Says Nisbet, “The big change after arriving home is that I have changed my name, my byline, all that good stuff.”

Karen Ducheneaux

Karen Ducheneaux (Summer 2004) and Joe Yracheta were married June 21.

Shani Bell (Summer 1996) writes that she is engaged to Miguel Pacheco. They met as students at Kent State in 1995 and will be married Oct. 23.

Ben Aguirre (Summer 2002/2001) proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Sandra, on Valentine’s Day. “I took her back to the park where we had our first date more than six years ago and popped the question. She said yes, and we are looking at June 25, 2005, as our wedding day.”

Congratulations to all. Keep your news coming. Send updates to Program Coordinator Michelle Hedenskoog.

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