Three journalism students at Carleton University are among the recipients of the 2021 Joan Donaldson CBC scholarship award.
Yasmine Ghania, Emilie Warren and Baneet Braich were among the 12 winners of the prestigious scholarship that includes a 16-week paid internship at the CBC. The winners were selected from journalism and communication programs from schools across the country.
The scholarship was named after Joan Donaldson, founder of CBC Newsworld in 1989 and had an illustrious career as a respected Canadian journalist. The award aims to give aspiring journalists hands-on experience working for one of the top news organizations in the country.
“I was hesitant to apply at first,” said Ghania, a fourth-year journalism student, “but I was like, why not? What could happen if I don’t get it?”
Ghania said she feels excited and honoured to be selected as one of the winners. Throughout university, she has been able to gain experience with news organizations such as Rogers TV and CTV News, and is currently working with National Observer.
“I’m really looking forward to the amazing mentorship, guidance and skills that I’m going to learn from these journalists that just have so much life and journalistic experience,” Ghania said.
Scholarship recipients were selected based on showing excellence in a variety of journalism fields, academic achievement and an interest in the CBC and practice of journalism.
Emilie Warren, a fourth-year journalism student, said she has gained valuable experience that helped her secure the competitive scholarship.
Previously, she has worked with CBC Quebec and Capital Current, an online publication of Carleton’s journalism program.
“I’m really excited to just get to report on stories and learn how it’s done and I’m excited to practice the skills I’ve been learning in school and see them come together,” she said.
Warren said she’s looking forward to taking part in the award program and the opportunities that will come from it.
“It’s going to open so many doors,” Warren added.
Baneet Braich, a fourth-year journalism student who currently serves as the president of the Journalism Society of Carleton (JSOC), is also a recipient of the 2021 award.
“This award feels like entering into an arena. I am humbled [and] grateful, and it’s a start that I have aspired for as a young child,” Braich said.
Throughout her four years as a student, she has worked with Black Press Media, IT World Canada and CBC Saskatchewan.
Braich also helped launch Project J, a JSOC initiative that gives journalism students a chance to be published in local news publications.
“To me, this award exemplifies how it’s the learning, mentorship, and challenge that inches us closer to our aspirations,” she said.
Allan Thompson, head of the Carleton journalism program, said it was a huge honour for Carleton to have three winners this year.
“This [scholarship] has been a gateway for a number of really good journalists to get a foothold in the CBC. It’s one of the best opportunities that’s out there,” he said.
Thompson said the CBC is one of the best media organizations in the country and that this scholarship will help build the careers of young journalists.
“This is an opportunity for these people over the course of a few months to take full advantage of that, to learn on the job, to apply the skills they learned in journalism school and get a foot in the door of the journalism industry,” he said.
Featured photos provided.
