An unexpected phone call brought University of Wisconsin Oshkosh senior Patricia Brandl the news that she had won $10,000.
“ At first I thought it was a joke,” said Brandl about the call from a Scripps Howard Foundation representative informing her she was one of the 10 national winners of the foundation’s “Top Ten” journalism scholarships-- A Wisconsin student has not won since the mid-1980s.
Brandl, a non-traditional student majoring in journalism who lives in Fond du Lac with her husband, Robert, returned to college in 2000 after working more than 25 years in the salon business. She hopes her success will encourage others who are considering returning to school.
“ The amount of respect I have for the journalism department at this university—,“ Brandl said. “I went from an absolute rookie to writing well enough that I was writing professionally and I got this scholarship.”
Brandl's application for the award included an essay describing her love of writing, samples of her published articles
and letters of recommendation from UW journalism professors Peggy Davidson and Miles Maguire. |
Brandl and Maguire received a collaborative research grant from the university this spring to study the effect of ownership changes on the news content of the Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper.
Brandl is spending her summer afternoons in a back room of the UW Oshkosh Polk Library, gathering data from past issues of the daily newspaper. She is also a freelance reporter for both the Fond du Lac Reporter and Oshkosh magazine. In addition to the cash award, Brandl received a glass paperweight with a plaque inside saying “2002 Scripps Howard Top Ten Winner.”
Brandl said she plans to use the money for tuition, books and other expenses. “Even commuters have to pay room and board,” she said.
Brandl would also like to share part of the award with the university's chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She is a past president and current vice president of the club. |
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