Bridget O'Brien Scholarship Foundation

Apply Now for the 2012 Scholarship

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:16:00 -0500

The Bridget O’Brien Foundation announced today the deadlines for the 2012 scholarship.

UCLA students who are active staff members or contributors to the Daily Bruin, including those graduating in Spring 2012, may apply now through the extended deadline of Friday, February 3, 2012. Individuals and teams are encouraged to submit proposals for original student reporting projects.

E-mail questions to info@rememberingbridget.com or contact Amy Emmert, the student media advisor.

Finalists will be asked to interview in-person at UCLA, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, February 19.

Apply now: http://www.rememberingbridget.com/apply

2011 Recipients Publish Work on Vietnam

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:25:00 -0400

Last week Sean Greene and Morgan Glier, 2011 Bridget O’Brien Scholarship recipients, published their series, “Heart of the Problem.” Sean and Morgan spent 12 days in Vietnam following the student group Medical, Educational Missions and Outreach, which is comprised of UCLA and UC Irvine students to carry out educational and medical missions.

You can find their three-part series online.

Their trip was the fifth journalism project funded by the Foundation. Previous recipients have traveled to Cameroon (examining the struggles and developments of the basketball community in Yaounde, Cameroon, where two former UCLA basketball stars were raised), 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). The foundation has sent teams to four countries on three continents since 2008.

As is the case for any nonprofit organization, our resources are as great as the generosity of our supporters. We invite you to consider submitting an additional (or first time) donation to the foundation so that we can continue promoting and funding this unique form of student journalism far into the future.

Thank you for your support.

"Over and Back" Finalists in Assoicated Collegiate Press award

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:23:00 -0400

Congratulations to Matt Stevens and Maya Sugarman, 2010 Bridget O’Brien Scholarship recipients, for being named national finalists in the 2011 Associated Collegiate Press Multimedia Story of the Year. Fellow Daily Bruin staffed Millie Tran was nominated with Matt and Maya for her contributions to the online publication website.

Matt was also named a finalist for the 2011 ACP Report of the Year and Maya was selected as a finalist in several photo categories.

Winners will be announced for the first time at the 90th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. Best of luck to the 2010 scholarship recipients.

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. Matt and Maya spent 31 days in Cameroon reporting on the story last summer. Earlier this year the series won first-place in the Society of Professional Journalists national award for in-depth reporting.

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 traveled to Vietnam this summer and will publish their work this fall.

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

"Over and Back" Wins SPJ Award

Fri, 06 May 2011 11:50:00 -0400

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.

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.

The Latest Foundation News

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 -0400

A young Cameroonian basketball player enjoys a pick-up game in Yaoundé, Cameroon, at Nlongkak basketball court, one of less than 10 outdoor courts throughout the city, on the evening of July 16. (Photo by Maya Sugarman)

Matt Stevens and Maya Sugarman, this year’s recipients of the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship, have begun publishing a four-day series examining the struggles and developments of the basketball community in Yaounde, Cameroon, where two former UCLA basketball stars were raised. Read the first chapter, “Out of bounds.” »

Their trip was the fourth journalism project funded by the 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). The foundation has sent teams to four countries on three continents since 2008.

To support these projects, we have raised more than $40,000. Our long-term objective is to become a self-sustaining endowment. Toward that end, we have set a fundraising goal of $10,000 in 2010.

These are exciting times for a foundation that formed less than three years ago thanks to the outpouring of support from Bridget’s family, friends, and colleagues. With your assistance, we have been able to foster the very type of student journalism that Bridget practiced and found so important during her career. We are excited to continue helping Daily Bruin journalists follow in her footsteps.

Thank you for your support.

Ventura County Press Club makes $2,500 donation to scholarship

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:36:00 -0400

Thank you to the Elena Jarvis on behalf of Ventura County Press Club for their generous donation of $2,500 to the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation. We are extremely grateful and excited for their contribution!

2010 scholarship set eyes on Cameroon

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:17:00 -0500

Today the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation’s Selection Committee interviewed candidates for this year’s scholarship. The committee selected Matt Stevens and Maya Sugarman as this year’s recipients. Matt and Maya will be traveling to Yaoundé, Cameroon in August to investigate how basketball continues to shape the economy and communities of the country from which two former UCLA basketball stars hail.

Peru Stories Publish

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:56:00 -0500

Photos from the Peru Project
By KIMBERLY LAJCIK

Passion for past drives research
By WILL WEISS

November 16, 2009PUNO, PERU — Elizabeth Klarich first met Charles “Chip” Stanish, director of the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, in 1994 when she was at her Chicago high school’s career day listening to his description of the field archaeologist’s way of life.

And she was utterly repulsed. Read More…

Archaeology project unearths, preserves culture Researchers earn trust of locals by participating in rituals, become experts in Peruvian way of life
By WILL WEISS
November 16, 2009

Idealized Peru veils country’s problems By KIMBERLY LAJCIK
November 16, 2009

Peruvian museums house ancient relics Small exhibition rooms in Peru, Bolivia display cultural artifacts to descendants of those cultures
By WILL WEISS
November 17, 2009

Museums in Peru strengthen cultural identity With exhibits both in Lima and in rural communities, Peruvian government educates population
By KIMBERLY LAJCIK
November 17, 2009

For Peruvians, cultural qualms are secondary to survival By WILL WEISS
November 17, 2009

PDFs of Daily Bruin pages

Asian American Journalists Association highlights recipient's work

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:32:00 -0500

The AAJA posted a note on their website today about BOB recipient, Jessica Lum’s, project in Thailand. Click here to see the post.

2009 scholarship recipients bound for Peru

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:59:00 -0500

The Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation selected its 2009 scholarship recipients today. Will Weiss and Kimberly Lajcik will travel to Peru this summer to investigate the many facets of UCLA’s archaeological research in the country.

The selection of Will and Kimberly follows the publication this past fall of scholarship-funded Daily Bruin projects on the production and sale of UCLA merchandise in China and the challenges facing UCLA researchers in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Thailand.

“Will and Kim organized what we believe will be another excellent project for the Daily Bruin,” said Kelly Rayburn, a founding member of the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation. “Our inaugural recipients did an amazing job last year, and we are exciting to carry our foundation’s mission forward with another team of outstanding student journalists this year.”

The Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation was created following the tragic passing at age 26 of Daily Bruin alumna and professional photographer Bridget O’Brien, whose own international reporting on fair trade coffee farms while she was a student working at the Daily Bruin was published in USA Today and helped launch her professional career. It is the foundation’s hope to help honor Bridget’s memory by funding original student journalism projects with a global reach and local consequence.

Thailand Stories Publish

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:54:00 -0500

Photos from the Thailand project
By JESSICA LUM

Private groups create change
Nongovernmental organizations in Thailand offer loans, opportunities to HIV positive community

By ROBERT FATURECHI
November 30, 2008

BANGKOK, THAILAND — Pakronphan Janetti sells candy and cheap jewelry for a living.

The delicate woman owns a stand tucked in a little oasis away from the bustling, hot, smoggy streets of downtown Bangkok.

She chats with customers, smiles at passersby, wraps goods and puts her glasses on when it’s time to count inventory with her business partner, a close friend.

Her days are calm. But she remembers when it wasn’t so.

“I know it’s a miracle I’m alive now,” she said… Read More.

Homes give HIV positive children a chance
Nongovernmental organizations in Thailand such as Agape Home take in those affected by virus
By JESSICA LUM
November 30, 2008

Researchers fight the stigma of HIV/AIDS
By ROBERT FATURECHI
November 30, 2008

Sex trade regulated
By ROBERT FATURECHI
December 3, 2008

A photographer in Thailand
By JESSICA LUM
December 3, 2008

PDFs of Daily Bruin pages

LA Observed commends foundation's project

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:54:00 -0500

LA Observed gave a shout-out to Audrey and Jessica for their China report today, commending the Daily Bruin and the Bridget O’Brien Scholarship Foundation. Robert and Jessica’s Thailand stories are slated for publication later this month.

China stories published

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:51:00 -0500

Photos from the China project
By JESSICA CHOU

In China, UCLA clothing is all about the style
Marketing a ‘smart casual’ look, the brand offers business wear to wealthy shoppers

By AUDREY KUO
November 18, 2008
SHANGHAI — Though images of Royce Quad and a Bruin football squad adorn the walls, the clothing sold here is unlike what students are used to finding when they stroll into Ackerman Union.

Instead of T-shirts, hoodies and athletic gear emblazoned with the letters “UCLA,” customers are greeted with an array of sleek black blazers, short- and long-sleeved polo shirts and button-downs with starchy collars. Read More…

A reporter’s travels overseas
By AUDREY KUO
November 18, 2008

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it is not enough
By JESSICA CHOU
November 18, 2008

Fair labor practices difficult to enforce
By AUDREY KUO
November 18, 2008

In spite of demand, rights are in short supply
By AUDREY KUO
November 19, 2008

Lost in translation but revealed in conversation
By AUDREY KUO
November 19, 2008

PDFs of Daily Bruin pages

Four UCLA student journalists to pursue reporting projects in Thailand and China

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:07:00 -0400

Today we announced our inaugural scholarship recipients.

Two teams of student journalists were chosen from a competitive field.

Robert Faturechi and Jessica Lum will travel to Thailand to report on AIDS in Southeast Asia and UCLA’s involvement in research and treatment programs.

Audrey Kuo and Jessica Chou will travel to China to report on the manufacturing and marketing of UCLA brand apparel abroad.

A panel of former and current Daily Bruin staff, O’Brien family members and journalism educators evaluated each project proposal, weighing the story idea, relevance to the UCLA community, and the demonstrated journalistic excellence of the applicants. Each team’s completed projects are scheduled to publish in the Daily Bruin in the fall of 2008.

“The caliber of these applicants and their ideas were phenomenal,” said Tyson Evans, president of the foundation. “Bridget would be immensely proud.”

The scholarship was created upon the tragic passing at age 26 of Daily Bruin alumna and professional photographer Bridget O’Brien, whose own international reporting on fair trade coffee farms while she was a student working at the Daily Bruin was published in USA Today and helped launch her professional career. Friends and family began rallying donations and raised $20,000 in three months.

“We’re grateful that so many have supported enterprising student journalism,” said Sarah Wagner, the foundation’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our goal is to eventually create a self-sustaining endowment.”