wfn.org | Four students receive UMCom scholarships for 2003-04

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

April 21, 2003 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
    10-71BP{234}

NOTE: Head-and-shoulders photographs of Susanna Song, Julia Vazquez, Diane
Connolly and Janet Fillmore are available at
http://umns.umc.org/photos/headshots.html.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Four students will receive aid through two United
Methodist Communications scholarship programs in the coming academic year.

Susanna Song, a junior at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., and Julia
Jovanie Vazquez, a senior at Columbia College, Chicago, were named the
winners of the Leonard M. Perryman Communications Scholarship for Ethnic
Minority Students. The scholarship provides $2,500 to an ethnic minority
junior or senior pursuing a career in journalism. The late Leonard Perryman
was a journalist for the United Methodist Church for more than 30 years.

Diane Connolly, a graduate student at United Methodist-related Perkins School
of Theology, Dallas, and Janet Fillmore, a graduate student at Methodist
Theological School in Ohio, will receive full Stoody-West Fellowships of
$6,000 apiece.

The Stoody-West Fellowship was named for the Rev. Arthur West of Lebanon,
Ohio, and the late Rev. Ralph Stoody, who were staff executives of UMCom or a
predecessor agency.

The Commission on Communications' scholarship committee chose the winners
from 14 Stoody-West applicants and eight Perryman applicants during its April
9 meeting. The commission oversees UMCom. All of the scholarships are for the
2003-04 year and are awarded on a one-time basis.

Song is anchor for WNUR 89.3 FM and a reporter for the Northwestern News
Network. She also serves as a youth group teacher at Hebron Presbyterian
Church in Illinois and is a Korean-American Scholar, as well as a member of
the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the Asian-American Journalism
Association. She has participated in mission trips to Nambia, Africa, and the
Dominican Republic.

"After graduation, God willing, I will have the opportunity to go to other
desolate areas, not just as a missionary but as a venerable journalist," Song
wrote in her application.

Vazquez is an active member of Palos United Methodist Church and worked as a
senior apprentice artist and radio production intern. She has won several
awards, including the SICA All-State Theatre Medal, National Choral Award,
City of Chicago & Gallery 37 Time Capsule Grand Prize and the Moraine Valley
Brook Scholarship, and she's on the dean's list at Columbia College for
2002-03.

"Upon my graduation at Columbia College, I am going to pursue my master's of
electronic media at the University of Illinois in Chicago. During a course of
research that I have been planning, I look forward to tracing the patterns
and history of television, children and the media's influence," she wrote in
her application.

Connolly is a member of First United Methodist Church of Coppell (Texas) and
is pursuing her master of theological studies degree at Perkins. She
graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor of arts degree in
journalism and English. While at Indiana University, she held positions as
city editor, copy chief, editorial writer and reporter on the Indiana Daily
Student newspaper.  She was the founding editor for ReligionLink: Resources
for Reporters (www.religionwriters.com), and served as the religion editor
and deputy arts editor for The Dallas Morning News, as well as news layout
editor, copy chief and feature page editor for The St. Petersburg Times.  

She received the Schachern Award from the Religion Newswriters Association
for the best newspaper religion section in North America for 1998, 1999 and
2000, and the Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council for best
newspaper religion section in the country for 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

"Religion binds and divides people in the deepest ways imaginable," she wrote
in her application. "In the coming years, two of the most pressing questions
we face are: Can the world's religions learn to get along? And what terrible
price will we pay if they cannot?" For this, she is attending seminary to get
a better grounding in scripture, ethics and history. She concludes her
written statement with, "I hope this will equip me to write and report with
more depth and clarity about how faith is a potent force - both a healing and
divisive force - in today's world."

A member of Mayfield United Methodist Church in Mayfield Village, Ohio,
Fillmore is active on the administrative board and serves on ministry teams
addressing areas such as elder care and women's Bible study. She has also
served as a Sunday school teacher and participated in short-term mission
trips. She is enrolled at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio,
where she is pursuing a master of divinity degree. She received a master of
arts degree in journalism from Indiana University in Bloomington and a
bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Ohio Wesleyan University in
Delaware, Ohio.

Fillmore's career in journalism began in 1981 as an intern copy editor for
the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she currently serves as the assistant
editor of the Sunday Magazine.

Her application lists several honors and awards, including seminary
scholarships through the United Methodist Foundation, Double Your Dollars for
Scholars program, Gift of Hope program and Mayfield United Methodist Church's
Partners in Ministry.

"My goal is to be a strong advocate for children," she wrote. "I plan to work
for either a United Methodist children's facility or an organization that
directly or indirectly helps children (such as Save the Children or Heifer
International) and use my writing skills to highlight the needs and celebrate
the successes of youngsters.  

"I also want to be a 'journalist on call' for the United Methodist Church,
documenting in words and photographs the many ways that it helps children in
crisis around the world. As an editor at newspapers in the Midwest for 20
years, I know there is always a story behind the obvious story."

More information on UMCom scholarships is available by contacting Amelia
Tucker-Shaw, resource consultant, at (615) 742-5400, or visiting UMCom's Web
site at www.umcom.org. 

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United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org