MDAA AWARDS TWO WELL-DESERVED SCHOLARSHIPS The MDAA awarded $1,000 scholarships to two seniors at the
Minnesota Dailythrough the Alumni Recognition Scholarship program this past fall.Kate Carlson (business/administrative employee) and Jessica Van Berkel (newsroom employee) stood out among other candidates in key ways – their commitment and contributions to the
Dailyand their academic and career achievements. The MDAA board also considers financial need when evaluating applicants for the scholarship.Providing scholarships to outstanding
Daily employees is one of MDAA’s key functions, made possible by the generous donations of alumni and other supporters. Since 2004, the MDAA has awarded scholarships to more than 20
Daily staffers.
The MDAA board is gearing up to review another round of applications in February, where two additional $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Each cycle begins with a workshop on resume writing for scholarship applicants, but also for any staff members who want tips on cover letters and resumes, particularly as they get ready to graduate. Alumni facilitate the workshop and provide specific feedback for those who bring resumes along. The Alumni Recognition Scholarship is also supported by an endowment from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Long-term goals include expanding the number and value of scholarships given. Donate now to support the scholarship program.
About the Fall 2010 Recipients:
Kate Carlson
Advertisement Production Manager, Business/Administrative departments
Kate Carlson initially studied art at the University of Kansas, but was drawn back home to the University of Minnesota in 2008 by the school’s design program, along with a desire to be closer to her family. Not long after transferring, she applied to work at the Daily and had the uncommon experience of being hired on her first try.
She began working at the Daily in September 2009 as an advertisement production designer, where she worked on client ads, promotional ads, and other special projects. A graphic design major, Carlson’s desire to work at the Daily was fed by an ongoing interest in publication design and desire to gather a wide range of experiences and capitalize on available professional opportunities.
During her first year, she had the opportunity to design advertising spreads and get involved in brainstorming other creative ideas to highlight advertisers.
Within nine months, she was promoted to manage the advertising production department. She created a “Lead Designer” position to share leadership with the art director, as well as mentor other designers. She also worked to redesign the Daily‘s Media Kit and managed an effort to rebrand Daily promotional products.
Carlson cited her appreciation for the collaborative environment at the Daily, but also the ability to have fun, be creative, and build friendships with and learn from colleagues. She also noted how her experience at the Daily has challenged her and built her confidence.
“The experience I have received while working at the Daily is priceless,” she said. “It’s really exciting to see your work out in the real world, actually being seen and used.”
Carlson hopes to continue working in advertising after graduation, perhaps starting out with an internship at a local firm with the opportunity to work her way up. She is also interested in opening her own shop featuring design on prints, textiles, clothes, or other home goods.
Jessica Van Berkel
Policy Editor, Newsroom
Like many Daily staffers, Jessie Van Berkel was willing to take any job to get a foot in the door. But a pattern of being in the right places at the right times also helped create opportunities for her.
Her first assignments were freelance articles on an earthquake that hit an Italian town about 100 miles from where she was studying during her sophomore year. After she returned to Minnesota from studying abroad in April 2009, she landed a job as a staff reporter – her third try applying for a Daily job.
Since that time, Van Berkel has covered health, science and technology beats, where she was also able to do some investigative projects, including a story on University research regarding lung cancer among miners on the Iron Range, which she counts among her most memorable career experiences so far. In the fall of 2010, she was promoted to Policy Editor, where she oversees reporters who cover government, politics, and University administration.
Van Berkel is double majoring in journalism and English, with a minor in Italian. She said she first gained an interest for journalism in middle school, because she liked to read and write. But what really “hooked” her was the reporting process and learning how to put pieces of information together into a story.
Beyond the Daily, Van Berkel has interned at the Star Tribune, the Oregonian, and has lined up another internship at the Seattle Times following graduation in May. She also worked as a stringer/blogger for Time Magazine during the Republican National Convention in 2008.
Van Berkel said she’d like to stay in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps returning to the Oregonian, but like many young journalists entering the industry, the future is somewhat uncertain. She plans to pursue reporting work, either online or in print, hoping to cover government, health, or politics.
“It’s so easy to list the things I’ve learned here, because they include pretty much everything I’ve learned about reporting,” she said. “I love the Daily. … Working for the Minnesota Daily will forever stand out as the best experience of my journalistic and college career.”
program with Sid Hartman called “Sports Huddle” on WCCO radio since 1981, and he’s been the color analyst for Gophers football radio broadcasts for the past 13 years. He helped lead the fundraising efforts for TCF Bank Stadium and recently joined the university as a special assistant to Athletic Director Joel Maturi, participating in the search that resulted in the hire of new football coach Jerry Kill.
