Tag: Cox-SABEW Fellows

#ProfilesofTenacity: Kate Hester

Posted on by Ashley Balsavias

Kate Hester is a second-year graduate student, studying journalism with an emphasis in innovation and leadership. During her time at Grady, she’s been involved as a graduate assistant for the James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership. Hester was a 2022 fellow for the Cox-SABEW  program, and she is a teaching assistant for JOUR 3030: Media, News and Consumers. She was awarded a Cox Institute Leadership Medal at the Levin Leaders dinner earlier this month. Hester’s most memorable Grady experience was studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark – where she was a teaching assistant for the travel writing course.

Why did you choose your major?

I chose journalism because of the possibilities. There is so much room to be creative, and the opportunities are endless. Not many majors have that same depth of opportunity.

Hester pictured in Copenhagen, Denmark – where she studied abroad as a teaching assistant last June. (Photo/submitted)
What is your most memorable Grady experience?

Studying abroad in Copenhagen! This past summer I was lucky enough to be the teaching assistant (TA) for the travel writing course in Copenhagen,Denmark. We spent a month over there and had such a blast! It was the best experience, and no job will ever top it!

Who is your favorite Grady professor and why?

My favorite Grady professor is 100% Dr. Herndon. He opened my eyes to the magic of innovation and offered me the chance of a lifetime to go to graduate school and be his graduate assistant. I have had so much fun working with him these past two years of graduate school.

What does tenacity mean to you?

To me, tenacity means strength. It means that no matter what, no matter how many times you get knocked down for forced to change directions, you keep moving forward. You do not worry about the things you cannot control; you just keep doing the next right thing.

Hester was awarded a Cox Institute Leadership Medal at the Levin Leaders dinner on March 2. (Photo/submitted)
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I have no idea where I will be in 10 years, and that is so exciting! I cannot wait to see what the future has in store.

What motivates you?

Right now, my students. Being a TA is so much fun and I love getting to interact with my students each week. They have been the best part of this year.

Who is your professional hero?

I could never pick one professional hero over another, but I do have a slight obsession with female-owned businesses.

Hester and three other journalism students traveled to New York City in the fall of 2022 as part of the Cox-SABEW fellowship program. (Photo/submitted)
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?

My mom sends me inspirational quotes via email about once a week. I keep my favorites as sticky notes on my desktop. The one I keep going back to is this: “Don’t worry about the next week or next month or next year. Just do the next right thing and keep doing the next right thing.”

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about supporting small businesses. If someone is brave enough and smart enough to strike out on their own, I want to do what I can to help them find success.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I am a freelance artist! I do mostly pet portraits right now, but with my own little spin! I love to paint and hope that love never goes away.

Cox Institute Announces its Cox-SABEW Fellows for 2020

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Twelve journalism students were selected during the Fall semester as Cox-SABEW Fellows, a financial journalism training program offered through the University of Georgia’s James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership in partnership with the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW).

The Cox-SABEW Fellows for 2020 are: Alexis Brock, Allison Caso, Emily Garcia, Jessica Green,  Jayla Johnson, Caroline Kurzawa, Katherine Lewis, Jamie Miller, Caroline Odom, Aleeza Rasheed, Savannah Sicurella and Tyler Wilkins.

The Cox-SABEW Fellowships were created to recognize students who have engaged in financial journalism and business education through class assignments, student media and professional internships, or for those looking to launch their financial journalism journey, said Dr. Keith Herndon, director of the Cox Institute.

“Before I served as a Cox-SABEW fellow, the idea of covering news from within the business and financial sectors felt daunting,” said Savannah Sicurella.

Herndon, a former business journalist, said the objectives of the program are to explain financial journalism and introduce students to career opportunities in the field.

“Writing for the SABEW website helped me realize that financial journalism is not just stocks and bonds. It’s merely reporting on issues that affect the livelihood of others,” Sicurella said.

“This serves the fundamental goal of journalism — delivering information on complex issues to an audience in a manner that is accessible and comprehensible — and it is why I am drawn to this avenue in the first place.”

The 2020 Fellows are participating in the College Connect program, a personal finance writing workshop, which will pay them for producing and publishing personal finance stories for the SABEW website. SABEW operates the College Connect program through a sponsorship of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).

Additionally, the Fellows are participating in virtual networking sessions with previous students in the program who are now professional financial journalists.  The Fellows also will attend SABEW’s virtual conference held this year November 17-20.

This year’s group marks the eighth year of the Cox-SABEW Fellowships. The program started in 2013 and has recognized 43 participants.

“We are so appreciative of SABEW’s willingness to engage with our students and of the financial support provided by NEFE,” said Herndon. “This is a great example of an industry-academic partnership helping to prepare the next generation of journalists.”

Grady students complete 2019 Cox-SABEW Fellowships

Posted on by admin

A group of seven Grady College journalism students were recognized in New York City during the fall conference of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) through a fellowship organized by the college’s James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership.

The Cox-SABEW Fellows for 2019 were: Jada Bowman, Mikaela Cohen, Kelly Mayes, Skylar Nicholson, Erin Schilling, Amy Scott and Ashlyn Webb. The students were recognized during a luncheon held November 12 at Reuters in New York City.

The Cox-SABEW Fellowship was created to honor students who have taken the initiative to engage in financial journalism and business education through class assignments, student media and professional internships, said Dr. Keith Herndon, director of the Cox Institute. This year’s group marked the seventh year of the partnership with SABEW, which was created in 2013 and has recognized 31 participants.

The Cox-SABEW Fellows visited with Grady alum Polina Marinova (ABJ ’13), who is editor of The Term Sheet at Fortune magazine. (Courtesy: The James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership)

Amy Scott described the conference as an incredible opportunity to connect with business journalism professionals and learn more about what is going on in the industry. “I’m inspired by just how passionate and committed so many of these journalists are to their work,” she said.

This year’s program was the second year of a two-year readership initiative the Grady College established with Barron’s through a sponsorship by PagnoKarp, a wealth management and advisory firm.  As part of this initiative, the seven students were hosted at a luncheon by Lauren Rublin, Barron’s senior managing editor.

In addition to attending the SABEW conference and Barron’s luncheon, the students also met with business journalists from Fortune magazine, NPR and the Wall Street Journal. The Fortune visit featured meeting with Grady alumnus Polina Marinova (ABJ ’13), who writes The Term Sheet newsletter. The students also had dinner with Grady benefactor Adam Levin and were joined there by alums Taylor Cromwell (2017), a social media editor with The Wall Street Journal, and Lisa Fu (AB ’17), a reporter with Private Equity Real Estate magazine (PERE).

“I really enjoyed learning about business journalism from experts in the field. It showed me how diverse this field can be and how much business relates to all other beats,” said Erin Schilling. “I met business journalists and editors who inspired me to continue on this path and gave me amazing advice about how to be a better journalist.”

Grady Students Complete 2018 Cox-SABEW Fellowships

Posted on by Dayne Young

Four Grady College students were recognized in New York City during the fall conference of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) through a fellowship organized by the college’s Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership.

The Cox-SABEW Fellows for 2018 were: John Durham, Collin Huguley, Charlotte Norsworthy and Amy Scott.  The students were recognized during a luncheon held October 25 at Reuters in New York City.

The Cox-SABEW Fellowship was created to honor students who have taken the initiative to engage in business journalism and business education through class assignments, student media and professional internships, said Dr. Keith Herndon, director of the Cox Institute. This year’s group marked the sixth year of the partnership with SABEW, which was created in 2013 and has included 24 students to date.

This year’s program is also part of a new two-year readership initiative the Grady College has established with Barron’s through a sponsorship by PagnoKarp, a wealth management and advisory firm. The student’s kicked off Grady’s new relationship with Barron’s during a lunch hosted by Katherine Bell, Barron’s Editor-in-Chief.

“Katherine was able to provide some great insight on how we as student journalists can learn more about financial investment coverage,” Norsworthy said. “She has goals to make Barron’s more accessible to younger readers to increase financial literacy, and that was inspiring for all of us to hear.”

In addition to attending the SABEW conference and Barron’s luncheon, the students also met with business journalists from Fortune magazine, NPR and the Wall Street Journal. The Fortune visit featured meetings with Grady alumnae Polina Marinova (ABJ’13) and Grace Donnelly (ABJ’16), who are both associate editors at the business magazine. Also, the students were hosted during the conference and at NPR by Marilyn Geewax, who recently retired as NPR’s senior business editor. Geewax is on the SABEW board of directors and is serving this year as an Industry Fellow with the Cox Institute.

“Getting to hear from a number of world-class journalists and knowledgeable business figures was tremendously valuable in teaching me more about business journalism,” Huguley said. “The range of perspectives and advice from successful people in my intended line of work was refreshing to hear, and it was great to experience this in the world’s most iconic city.”

Grady students recognized as 2017 Cox-SABEW Fellows

Posted on by Stephanie Moreno

Six Grady College students were recognized in New York City during the fall conference of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) through a fellowship organized and sponsored by the college’s Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership.

The students recognized as Cox-SABEW Fellows for 2017 were: Denver Ellison, Lisa Fu, Zachary Hansen, Reann Huber, Mollie Simon and Alex Soderstrom. The conference was held at the City University of New York on October 12 and 13.

This Cox-SABEW Fellowship was created to honor students who have taken the initiative to engage in business journalism through class assignments, student media and professional internships, explained Dr. Keith Herndon, director of the Cox Institute. This year’s group marked the fifth year of the partnership with SABEW, which was created in 2013 and has included 20 students to date.

“I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity being selected as a Cox-SABEW Fellow has given me,” said Soderstrom. “After being introduced to business reporting during my summer internship at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the SABEW conference has allowed me to delve even further into the world of business journalism.”

Fu, who interned at Fortune magazine, called the Fellowship “a fantastic opportunity for me to network, learn and to explore the field of business journalism with my peers.” Simon, who interned in business news at NPR, said the Fellowship extended her training in an important aspect of news. “Business journalism cuts across so many fields that I know it will touch any topic I have the opportunity to cover in the future,” she said.

In addition to attending the conference, the Cox-SABEW Fellows met with working reporters and editors in the newsrooms of Fortune magazine, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. They also networked with Grady alumni and supporters currently working in business news and other news media organizations.