“The more of the world I see, the better I am as a journalist. … And the more I work as a journalist, the more analytically I view the world as I travel.”
— Bridget O’Brien
Four UCLA student journalists to pursue reporting projects in Thailand and China
June 5, 2008
The Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to fund original, student-produced journalism with a global reach and local consequence, announced on June 5 the inaugural scholarship recipients.
Two teams of student journalists were chosen from a competitive field.
Robert Faturechi and Jessica Lum will travel to Thailand to report on AIDS in Southeast Asia and UCLA’s involvement in research and treatment programs.
Audrey Kuo and Jessica Chou will travel to China to report on the manufacturing and marketing of UCLA brand apparel abroad.
A panel of former and current Daily Bruin staff, O’Brien family members and journalism educators evaluated each project proposal weighing the story idea, relevance to the UCLA community, and the demonstrated journalistic excellence of the applicants. Each team’s completed projects are scheduled to publish in the Daily Bruin in the fall of 2008.
“The caliber of these applicants and their ideas were phenomenal,” said Tyson Evans, President of the foundation. “Bridget would be immensely proud.”
The scholarship was created upon the tragic passing at age 26 of Daily Bruin alumna and professional photographer Bridget O’Brien, whose own international reporting on fair trade coffee farms while she was a student working at the Daily Bruin was published in USA Today and helped launch her professional career. Friends and family began rallying donations and raised $20,000 in three months.
“We’re grateful that so many have supported enterprising student journalism,” said Sarah Wagner, the foundation’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our goal is to eventually create a self-sustaining endowment.”
Donate
Please donate now and spread the word to ensure this fund can support ambitious student journalism in Bridget’s memory for more than a lifetime. Additional donation options.
Apply
Apply now, applications due by November 6, 2008.
Each fall, eligible students may submit a project proposal to the scholarship selection committee. Recipients will be granted the funding and resources to complete their project within the academic year.
Bridget & The Foundation
In memory of Bridget O’Brien, a talented young photojournalist who dedicated her life to storytelling. While at UCLA, her work represented student journalism at its very best — ambitious, enlightening, captivating. After graduation, she pursued her passion across the globe until her death in 2007. She will always be a reminder that we can change the world through a little bit of adventure and a whole lot of honesty.
Learn more about the Foundation or read memories of Bridget.