HFC JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP
The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle (HFC) 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 Nov. 15, 2022.
ELIGIBILITY
- Filipino or part-Filipino
- U.S. citizen
- Hawaii high school graduate
- Full-time college student (at least 12 credits undergraduate/non-graduating senior) enrolled at an accredited four-year public or private college/university in the United States by the 2021 fall semester (preference is given to local students but mainland students intending to return to Hawaii and work in local media after graduation are encouraged to apply)
- Journalism, mass communications or media-related major (declared on transcript)
- 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale)
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Please send the following directly to hfcnews@yahoo.com by the Nov. 15, 2022, deadline.
- Completed application form (Download here.)
- Copy of recent college transcript (finalists may send official transcripts later for verification)
- Reference forms (Download here.)
- Two news or feature writing samples with interviews—one story must focus on a Filipino topic (please no reviews, Q&A style, listicles, first-person accounts, opinion pieces or fiction) [may email attachments or provide weblinks]
- 1,000-word essay (details on the application form)
One winner will be selected by the scholarship committee and notified by early December 2021. He/she will be profiled in an article with excerpts of his/her essay published in the Chronicle in early 2022.
SUPPORT THE STUDENTS
The ongoing pandemic has adversely affected our efforts to raise more money to provide financial aid. Funds are needed now to support and sustain HFC’s annual journalism scholarship 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:
2022
Lizette Nolasco, Chaminade University – Communication (Mass Communications)
2021
Jasmine Sadang, Hawaii Pacific University – Communication Studies and Practices
2020
Brenna Flores, Chaminade University – Communication (Marketing)
2019
Alyssa Acob, Hawaii Pacific University – Integrated Multimedia and Mass Communication