Each time something wonderful happens or I achieve something that is particularly important to me, I will think of everyone from Chips Quinn. I just wrote my first Page One story, and I can't help but feel that the inspiration and training I received at orientation helped me to work that much harder to make it a meaningful story."

- Joanne Yuan, Arizona State University
Spring 2003 Scholar at the Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore.

Like I tell everyone, I owe my career to the Chips Quinn program."

- Eric Bailey, sports reporter, Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader
1996 Scholar at the News-Leader

Many thanks to the Chipster program for helping me build a solid foundation in journalism. Whenever recruiters looked over my resume they would always say, ‘Oooh, so you're a Chipster?’ It's a very good title to have."

- Daniella Aird, reporter, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale
Fall 2001 Scholar at The Times, Shreveport, La.

I have covered a bank robbery and attended a rodeo. I have had cancer survivors cry as they recall their struggles. I have had people speak to me only because I speak Spanish. I've had a grandmother tell me her life story and then tell me that she is glad there are young journalists like me who are telling stories. I thought people were exaggerating when they said this was a life-changing experience. Now I know what they meant. I will walk out of this internship a stronger, better reporter, but also a richer person because I was able to be part of so many people's lives."

- Lys Mendez, University of California-Santa Cruz
Summer 2002 Scholar at The Californian, Salinas

I really appreciate the Freedom Forum and every person who helped make the program work. Not only did you give me a chance (and take a chance on me), but my whole career path and outlook has changed."

- Kierra Young, ASNE/APME Fellow and copy editor,
The Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C.
Summer 2001 Scholar at the Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal

I really feel like orientation prepared me well for my internship and gave me a support system on which I could rely."

- Carnegie Mims, Morehouse College
Summer 2001 Scholar at the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman

I’ve always known that I was interested in journalism, but actually working for a paper gave me real-world experience and made me see the benefits of being a journalist."

- Sarah Jimenez, University of Southern California
Summer 2001 Scholar at The Fresno (Calif.) Bee

I never realized the importance of diversity in newsrooms until Asian members of the community began approaching me at church, at a grocery store, at a gas pump. Because Muskogee has only about 50 Asian families, Asian readers recognized that I was the unfamiliar face whose name was in the paper. During that Summer, I ate with many of the families, who later became great sources for my stories."

- Lynn Nguyen, University of Oklahoma
Summer 2001 Scholar at the Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix & Times-Democrat