nwasianweekly.com
May 31, 2008

Journalists of tomorrow awarded with scholarships today

The University of Washington’s Department of Communication held its 2008 Scholarship Awards Ceremony in the Kane Hall Walker-Ames Room May 8. Prominent figures in the local journalism field were on hand to present the awards. Along with the presenters, many of the scholarship recipients’ family and friends also attended.
A few of the many deserving recipients are:

Yu Nakayama received a Journalism Foreign Intrigue Endowed Scholarship, presented by Beth Erickson, 1963 alumna. Nakayama is a journalism major interested in pursuing a career in sports reporting. He has worked for The Seattle Times on two separate occasions, as an intern-reporter covering the 2008 Washington State Legislature and as a sports news assistant, covering high school sports in the region. He has also interned for The Issaquah Press, writing features, profiles and covering live events for the sports section. He has done some freelance work for The Daily and has been on the dean’s list. Outside of his career in journalism, Nakayama has worked as a Special Education Para Educator at Robinswood Middle School and also coaches pole-vaulting for the Sammamish High School track team.

Kristin Okinaka received a Seattle Times/Blethen Family Memorial Scholarship, presented by Will Blethen, a retired treasurer and corporate risk manager for The Seattle Times. Okinaka is a double major in journalism and Spanish who is also proficient in Japanese. She is interested in photojournalism and would like to work for a magazine using her photography and writing skills. She has interned with the North American Post, a Japanese community newspaper, writing articles for the English section. Kristin has been a Freshman Interest Group leader, was a running coach for elementary school girls and works for Perkins Preschool. She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma and has been on the dean’s list.

Angeline Candido received a Robert F. Philip Scholarship, presented by Robert Philip, a past UW regent and foundation board member, as well as a 1940 alumnus. Candido is a double major in communication and English who is planning on going to graduate school and studying within the fields of intercultural and speech communication. She has presented research on Filipino American Youth and the Tagalog language at the McNair Scholars/Early Identification Program, and she has researched this area for several other projects. Candido has interned for the Filipino American National Historical Society and has participated in the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities and the Safe Schools Coalition. She is the historical chair of the Philippine American Dialogue and Discourse organization, Makipag, and the Filipino American Student Association. She recently received an Educational Opportunity Program Endowed Merit Scholarship, and she has been on the dean’s list.

Nancy Pham received a Robert F. Philip Scholarship, presented by Robert Philip. Pham is a double major in communication and French. She would like to work for a global humanitarian organization, helping to combat human rights violations in Asia and Africa, or for an agency such as the United Nations, helping to make policy changes regarding human rights law. She also plans on attending law school, studying international law and focusing on international human rights law. Pham is a senior editor for the Washington Undergraduate Law Review, is a member of Phi Alpha Delta and has been on the dean’s list.

Rika Kuros Reid received a Robert F. Philip Scholarship, presented by Robert Philip. Reid is a double major in communication and psychology who is interested in inter-cultural communication. She is bilingual in Japanese, having lived in Japan for the first 19 years of her life. She has been researching differences in sensitivity to facial expressions between American and Japanese women. She tutors with the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment program, teaching Japanese language and culture. She would like to work in interpersonal communications, focusing on Asian Americans and Asian immigrants. Reid is a member of the Phi Chi Psychology honor society, has received several scholarships, including the Altrusa International Scholarship, and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Nina Hsiao Huang received the Northwest Asian Weekly Scholarship, presented by Jerry Baldasty, UW professor and chair of the Department of Communication. Huang is a journalism major who plans to work for a public relations agency and also do freelance writing. She would like to go to graduate school to study either communication or business. She has worked for the University of Washington’s Office of Annual Giving, has interned with China Post, Trend Micro, Inc. and Publicis Consultants. Huang is a member of Public Relations Student Society of America, is the secretary for Alpha Kappa Psi and has been on the dean’s list. n