Scott Trust Bursary Student Testimonial

What did the Scott Trust Bursary mean to you? 

Whilst I have always enjoyed storytelling, originally finding my voice through performance poetry, I never seriously considered journalism as a viable career for myself. I was always made to feel that the barriers to entry were too high; that the only people who would make it were the select few who happened to start a magazine when they were 8 years old (whilst the rest of us were playing) and could afford to do long unpaid internships whilst at university.  

So when I found out I had been awarded the bursary, it made a career in journalism seem like a genuine possibility. So far I have completed a master's degree at BCU, which has given me a great grounding in data journalism. Both the course and my work at The Guardian has taught me the best ways to find stories and the different ways to tell them. I have really enjoyed the process of watching the early seeds of an idea grow into a fully-fledged news story that is publishable in a national newspaper.  

How did the bursary support your academic and career goals? 

Data is becoming an ever more important element of news reporting, and newsrooms are increasingly looking for people who have the ability to analyse data and find stories in spreadsheets, often amid the large wealth of public data available online. 

I feel the course at BCU has therefore put me in good stead for future work opportunities in an otherwise very competitive industry.  

How did you hear about the bursary, and what was the application process like? 

I was living in Colombia at the time working as a teaching assistant. Knowing that I would struggle to afford a master’s, I started to look at various training schemes in journalism in the UK and then I came across the Scott Trust Bursary. 

The application process involves submitting an application, completing a test, and attending an interview. As part of the application, you must submit three stories, though they don’t need to have been published. The interview is conducted by a panel of three, including a journalist from The Guardian, the Director of Programmes at the Guardian Foundation, and the Head of the University course you have applied for. 

They are not looking for an opportunity to catch you out, but instead questions that give you the best possibility to show your potential. 

What was your experience like working at The Guardian? 

I have really enjoyed my time at The Guardian, I have loved how helpful everyone is. On the scheme you are given a mentor, but the longer I am here, the more I have got to know other journalists that have become informal mentors too. Every desk at The Guardian works differently, and therefore you are able to pick up many different skills and best working practices. I definitely prefer my time when I am in the office, just because if you are struggling you can easily ask the person sitting next to you for help.

I have particularly enjoyed working with the data and investigations team. It's also been really exciting to see stories you have written published in the printed newspaper.