Thanks to a generous grant from the Scripps Howard Fund, 18 high school journalism teachers from across the state of Texas have been selected as Scripps Howard Fund Teaching Ambassadors for the University of North Texas.
The 18 teaching ambassadors for 2023 are listed below and represent the following schools:
- Candace Bagwell, Heritage High School in Frisco.
- Sara Boyle, Stratford High School in the Houston area.
- Kristi Canon, Lake Ridge High School in Grand Prairie.
- Britney Crowe, Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz.
- Katie Dean, Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown.
- Trisa Dyer, Denison High School in Denison.
- Margaret Edmonson, Smithson Valley in the San Antonio area.
- Sara Gonzales, Patricia E. Paetow High School in Katy.
- Stephen Green, Caney Creek High School in Conroe.
- Tabitha Houchens, Redwater High School in Texarkana.
- Lillian Harris, Bellaire High School in Bellaire.
- Kenneth Perkins, Weatherford High School in Weatherford.
- Margie Raper, Rock Hill High School in Frisco.
- Kari Riemer, Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville.
- Brenda Slatton, San Antonio Christian High School in San Antonio.
- John Sohel, Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield.
- Linda Wilson, Caprock High School in Amarillo.
- Melinda Wood, Summer Creek High School in the Houston area.
In her application for the program, Raper said, “My mission is to guide students to be responsible media consumer and productive global citizens. With 20 years experience in education and a former broadcast journalist and videographer, I love to share the scholastic journalism world with peers and students.”
Bagwell is an alumna of UNT and said she applied to the program because she wants to continue to “inspire and educate younger generations about this impactful industry.” She praised the Mayborn School of Journalism for playing “an essential role in developing me as a reporter, producer and educator.”
Dorothy Bland, the UNT Scripps Howard Fund Emerging Journalists Program director, a journalism professor and former dean, said UNT has successfully completed the second year of the $300,000 grant. In addition to working with the teaching ambassadors and the Texas Association of Journalism Educators to strengthen scholastic journalism networks and training, Bland said other positive outcomes include the placement of nearly 40 high school journalism interns in paid positions at about 15 news outlets across the state ranging from KERA to the Houston Chronicle.
Bland said she is recruiting for high school student applicants for the 2023 cycle. The 20 students selected will participate in a free week-long multimedia workshop and then be placed in paid internships in their local markets across the state. Here is the link for students to apply: SHF EJP Application for 2023
The deadline for student applications is March 27. To learn more about the program and see photos of the 2023 cohort of teaching ambassadors, go to UNT Scripps Howard Fund Emerging Journalists Program