Concordia journalism student earns a 2019 Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship

Just two years after emigrating from Colombia, Concordia student Lina Forero has been named a Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholar.

Forero, a video journalist, will graduate in June from the Graduate Diploma in Visual Journalism program. She will soon travel to Toronto to begin her orientation, training and four-month paid internship within CBC News and Centres.

Her first stop: The National.

“When I came to Canada, one of my goals was to work for the CBC,” Forero says. “I realized this was pretty ambitious but I knew that if I worked hard, I would be able to do it.”

André Roy, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, says studying humanities disciplines like journalism equips students with the hard and soft skills they need to compete among the brightest in the country for scholarships and awards like this one.

“We can’t wait to see where this opportunity takes Lina on her career path,” he says.

‘The professional opportunity of a lifetime’

Candidates for the Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship are nominated by their home institution and undergo a rigorous portfolio and application process. A department committee chaired by Aphrodite Salas, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism, recommended Forero.

“The Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship is a prestigious and highly competitive award,” Salas says. “I recommended Lina for her keen photographer’s eye and outstanding quality of work. This is a case of a truly deserving student being given the professional opportunity of a lifetime.”

Eight national recipients were selected from a pool of 33 across Canada. Some past scholars, many from Concordia’s Department of Journalism, have gone on to permanent positions with the CBC.

Forero’s journey began when she was still in Colombia working as an associate producer for the newsmagazine Los Informantes. She knew that moving to Canada would mean starting her career from scratch and she was looking for a program that would augment her skills, give her a sense of the media landscape in the country and connect her with industry professionals.

The right tools and flexibility

“Concordia’s Graduate Diploma in Visual Journalism was exactly what I was looking for,” Forero says.

“In addition to developing my skills in shooting, lighting and editing, this program gave me the professional network I was missing. I am fortunate to have met talented peers and supportive professors like Aphrodite Salas and Elyse Amend, not to mention graduate program assistant Mircea Mandache, who was helpful throughout my studies.”

The Graduate Diploma in Visual Journalism is an intensive one-year program.

“As the only University-level program of its type, the diploma offers students like Lina the visual storytelling tools and flexibility they need to realize their potential at their own pace,” says David Secko, department chair.
 

Check out a multimedia report about Montreal's Supper Society that Forero worked on for the CBC.

Learn more about Concordia’s Department of Journalism.