Three religion communicators receive UMCom scholarships
The Rev. Larry Hollon
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By Linda Green*
May 5, 2006 | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)
Three students pursuing careers in religion journalism are receiving
fellowships and scholarships from United Methodist Communications for
the coming academic year.
A Commission on Communication scholarship committee chose the Judith
L. Weidman Ethnic Minority Fellow, the Stoody-West Graduate Fellow and
the Leonard M. Perryman Scholarship for Ethnic Students for 2006-07 on
April 27. The recipients were selected because of their skills,
experience and commitment to religion communications. The commission is
UMCom’s governing body.
“The need for professional journalists who can interpret the influence
of religion and faith on global culture has never been greater,” said
the Rev. Larry Hollon, executive director at United Methodist
Communications. The agency, he said “encourages the development of
deeper skills and knowledge of the journalist’s role by providing these
scholarships.”
The students have the opportunity to extend their education, work in
settings that increase their understanding of religious communities and
their concerns, and explore new areas of journalism, he added.
Weidman fellow
Alvin Russell Goodwin II
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Alvin Russell Goodwin II, 22, a graduating
telecommunications major at the University of Kentucky, is the ninth
recipient of the Judith L. Weidman Racial Ethnic Minority Fellowship. He
will work in the Minnesota Annual Conference from July 1 through June
30, receiving a $30,000 stipend for the year.
UMCom developed the fellowship in 1998 to encourage people of ethnic
minority background to consider religion communications as a career. The
63 U.S. annual conferences have fewer than 10 conference communicators
of ethnic minority heritage in leadership positions. The fellowship
carries the name of the late Judith L. Weidman, who encouraged its
development during her tenure as UMCom’s top staff executive.
Goodwin, a lifelong United Methodist, said the most important part of
being a Christian is working outside the walls of the church. He cited
that as a primary reason for wanting to gain more understanding of
religious communication. As a college student, he studied abroad in
Ghana, on the coast of West Africa — an experience that influenced his
perspective on the church’s global role.
“Moreover, I am eager to witness to the development and advancement of
the Christian church voice, reaching not only across states but
ultimately across nations.”
This outreach includes listening to the concerns of today’s youth and
young adults and countering negative messages received through mass
media with the voice of the church. He said he wants to “increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of religious communications, which will
more importantly strengthen the bond between Christian churches and our
global communities.”
Stoody-West fellow
Larry Hygh, Jr.
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The recipient of the Stoody-West Graduate Fellowship is Larry R. Hygh
Jr., the first person to receive the Judith L. Weidman Racial Ethnic
Minority Fellowship and mentor to the 2005-06 winner. He will be awarded
the $6,000 fellowship to continue graduate study in religious
communications at an accredited U.S. college or university. The
fellowship is named for the late Rev. Arthur West of Lebanon, Ohio, and
the late Rev. Ralph Stoody, who were staff executives of UMCom or a
predecessor agency.
Hygh, 30, is director of communications for the California-Pacific
Annual (regional) Conference of the United Methodist Church and is a
doctoral candidate in organizational leadership at Pepperdine University
in Los Angeles.
Already an established religious communicator in a variety of media, he
currently tells the church’s story on behalf of United Methodists across
Southern California, the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and Saipan.
“As a religious journalist, I firmly believe that the church should be
communicating its messages through all types of media,” he said. The
degree he is pursuing “has helped to strengthen my journalistic skills.
... I am enrolled in a leadership program, and religious journalism
needs leaders to tell the story.”
Perryman scholar
The Leonard M. Perryman Undergraduate Communications Scholarship for
Ethnic Students provides a $2,500 scholarship to an undergraduate United
Methodist student who wants to pursue a career in religion journalism.
Hyeran Lee Yu
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Hyeran Lee Yu, 42, is the 2006-07 Perryman scholar and is a rising
junior in the professional communications program at Wheeling (W. Va.)
Jesuit University. She also is an editor of a newsletter for
Korean-American United Methodist Women at the Women’s Division of the
United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. She worked as a
scriptwriter for Korean Educational Broadcasting in Korea and as a
scenario writer for public movies.
Yu received an associate of arts degree from SoongEui Women’s College in
Seoul, South Korea, and believes communication is her calling. “I
recognize that God has guided me to let me develop and use my talents in
the writing, editing, designing, communicating and broadcasting for the
mission and ministry of the church of the Lord.”
When she graduates, she would like to contribute to American society as a
Korean-American specialist in communications. Having already served
local churches as a clergy spouse and through the Women’s Division, she
wants to serve a conference, agency or church-related organization.
More information on UMCom scholarships is available by contacting Amelia
Tucker-Shaw, at (888) 278-4862, or by visiting UMCom’s Web site at www.umcom.org.
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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