HFC 2020 JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP
The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is investing in its future and in the field of journalism and mass communications (JMC) in the 50th state by sponsoring a $2,500+ scholarship program.
Chona A. Montesines-Sonido, publisher and managing editor of the Chronicle, noticed an under-representation of Filipinos in journalism (including mass communications and media) in general. Her newspaper is offering financial help to college students of Filipino heritage majoring in JMC fields at one of the four-year accredited universities in Hawaii. She wants local talent to stay in Hawaii since the community will benefit a lot from them.
Declining enrollments in JMC schools adversely affect the number of qualified graduates entering the workforce. The Chronicle hopes that this journalism scholarship program is a good motivator for local Filipino students to study and work in Hawaii’s media and reverse the situation.
“We need future Fil-Am writers and leaders in the fields of journalism and mass communications. We are short of Filipino journalists who will continue our work and serve the Filipinos and our community-at-large in the future,” Sonido said. “We need good journalists who are the ‘eyes and ears of the community’, and the Chronicle believes that we must build a pool of journalists in the future to safeguard our democracy and create a group that reports ‘checks and balances’ actions happening in the government and around us. With good reporting in place by well-trained journalists, we can secure a fair, informative and steady flow of news in our community and around the world. It is important that we support these students who are preparing for their future in the JMC field.”
Eligible college students in Hawaii are encouraged to apply. Deadline is March 1, 2020.
ELIGIBILITY
- Filipino or part-Filipino
- U.S. citizen
- Hawaii high school graduate (as of summer 2020)
- Full-time college student (at least 12 credits undergraduate/non-graduating senior) enrolled at an accredited four-year public or private college/university in Hawaii by the 2020 fall semester
- Journalism, mass communications or media-related major (declared on transcript)
- 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale)
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Please send the following to hfcnews@yahoo.com by the March 1, 2020, deadline.
- Completed application form“2020scholarappHFC.docx” file (download here)
- Copy of recent college transcript (finalists may send official transcripts later for verification)
- Reference forms (download two here)
- Three samples of journalistic writing-news reporting style (may email attachments or weblinks)
- 1,000-word essay (details on the application form)
One winner will be selected by the scholarship committee and notified by late April. He/she will be profiled in an article with excerpts of his/her essay published in the Chronicle.
PLUS…the winner may receive an additional $1,000 per academic year as a JMC major until graduation for maintaining a 3.0 GPA!
SUPPORT THE STUDENTS
The Chronicle held charity banquet in November 2019; another fundraising event is planned within five years. But more money is needed now to support and sustain the annual journalism scholarship awards program. Please support the students and invest in the future of Filipinos working in JMC fields.
Donations are welcome via the Filipino Media Foundation and are 100% tax deductible. To donate, please contact the Chronicle office at filipinochronicle@gmail.com or call (808) 678-8930.
WINNERS
Click on the year to read more about the scholarship winners (PDF of HFC newspaper):
2019
Alyssa Acob, Hawaii Pacific University,
Integrated Multimedia and Mass Communications
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