Sydney, 2006 — Photo by Bridget

“The more of the world I see, the better I am as a journalist. … And the more I work as a journalist, the more analytically I view the world as I travel.”

— Bridget O’Brien (1981-2007)

“Over and Back” Wins SPJ Award

May 6, 2011

Congratulations to 2010 Bridget O’Brien Scholarship recipients Matt Stevens and Maya Sugarman, winners this week of a prestigious a national award for their eye-opening investigation into the recruitment of college basketball players from Cameroon.

The Society of Professional Journalists bestowed Matt and Maya with the organization’s first-place national award for in-depth reporting. The “Over and Back” series chronicled the hopes and struggles of young basketball players in Cameroon, where two former UCLA star players began their basketball careers. The series also won a regional award for photography and was a national finalist for online presentation.

Matt and Maya spent 31 days in Cameroon reporting on the story last summer. The project ultimately involved the work of more than a dozen Daily Bruin staffers before it was published in October.

The Cameroon trip was the fourth journalism project funded by the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation. Previous recipients have traveled to Peru (to explore UCLA’s archaeological research in the country), China (to investigate the influence of UCLA merchandise on garment factories and retail stores) and Thailand (to assess the effects of UCLA researchers’ work on HIV/AIDS in the country’s red light districts). Another team of student journalists is being sent to Vietnam this summer.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors. As always, we appreciate your donations to the foundation.

Thank you, and check back for more news to come.

Apply

Applications are due Friday, February 3

Each school year, eligible students may submit a project proposal to the scholarship selection committee. Recipients will be granted the funding and resources to complete their project within the academic year. Learn more about the application process »

About the Foundation

This foundation was created in memory of Bridget O’Brien, a talented young photojournalist who dedicated her life to storytelling. While at UCLA, her work represented student journalism at its very best — ambitious, enlightening, captivating. After graduation, she pursued her passion across the globe until her death in 2007. She will always be a reminder that we can change the world through a little bit of adventure and a whole lot of honesty.