Last month, the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) awarded three journalism students from Klein College of Media and Communication with scholarships. Victoria Lucas, Nicolle Majette and Kyla Jackson were each recognized with $1,000 to apply toward their education.
The recipients were told about the scholarships by Denise James, an adjunct instructor at Klein who is a past officer of PABJ. They used their applications as a space to express their desire to contribute to the diversity and equity of the industry, as well as promote a vision for journalism’s more inclusive future. Each of them is a role model student and an example of unrelenting journalistic integrity and drive.
Victoria Lucas is a senior who recently signed a two-year contract with news station FOX43 as a multiskilled journalist and started with the station part-time in January. With a lifelong passion for oration, she discovered her love for broadcast journalism in high school, where she was an anchor for her school’s Monday morning newscast. She began working with Temple University Television (TUTV) her freshman year and was able to accumulate enough material from her involvement with the station’s news program Temple Update to put together a reel by her junior year. She has held internships with Philadelphia’s FOX 29 and NBC10, which led her to her current position. Lucas says her success would not have been possible without her mentors, including those at Klein, who pushed her to take advantage of opportunities like the PABJ scholarship. “Those involved in NABJ helped me to become involved and just hone in on what representation means in news.”
A storyteller and writer, junior Nicolle Majette recognized that Temple was a great choice for her career aspirations. She found her fit in broadcast journalism through TUTV and is working with both Temple Update and The Temp, a political talk show covering hot-button issues. “I learned so much just from being in the studio. I’ve learned to improve myself as a writer, as a reporter, even as an anchor, and just my broadcast performance skills overall.” She is currently a breaking news intern with MSNBC and will hold an internship as a digital production assistant with NBC Sports for the upcoming Summer Olympics. She believes that PABJ will continue to be a valuable resource as she advances in her career.
Kyla Jackson was bitten by the journalism bug when she participated in a journalism camp during high school. After starting her college career at nearby Drexel University, she transferred to Temple for her sophomore year. Now, the junior is working as a reporter for The Temp and is currently studying abroad in Rome, where she is completing an internship with Glocalize Yourself, an organization that allows travelers to experience Rome as the locals do. She continues to grow in her journalism abilities due to what she has learned through her classes at Klein and TUTV and hopes that she can one day help others grow as journalists. “I really just want to use my craft with journalism to help others, that’s really what I want to do,” she says. “Because I know with journalism and reporting, you’re out there, you’re in those communities, you’re building relationships, and that’s what I want to do.”
Two other students from different schools were also honored with the PABJ scholarship. Along with the scholarship, the students receive a full year of student membership in PABJ.