BA Journalism student and #JSTFellow shares her mentoring experience
How did you become involved in the John Schofield Trust Fellowship scheme?
I was introduced to the scheme by my lecturer Angela Harrison. It was the first time a scheme like this has been accessible to university students and I was one of the first people to become a #JSTFellow. As an upcoming journalist, I recognise that the John Schofield Trust is an amazing scheme helping young journalists to achieve their goals. Once I heard there was an opportunity to become a part of this, I knew I had to grab it with both hands.
What’s your mentor like?
My mentor is none other than the brilliant Sky News presenter Gillian Joseph. She is nurturing, understanding and encourages me to do my best. Each month we discuss my aims for the month, and we work towards them. I am very fortunate to have someone with her expertise guide me into a career in journalism. My aim is to become a TV news anchor and I know I am in the best hands, Gillian has already been through the things I have, and she is willing to show me the things they have learnt.
We usually once a month, however, we work around my university timetable and if I need time to study my mentor is extremely accommodating.
Can you tell us what kind of things you’ve gained from being involved?
My confidence has increased massively, and I now have many contacts that I am able to connect with whenever I need. I have gained more knowledge about my degree and the workshops that JST host are fantastic too.
I have had the opportunity to visit Sky News Studios as well as BBC Studios which is something that I wouldn’t have accessed if it were not for the John Schofield Trust.
Has networking provided you with lots of journalist contacts? How will those contacts help in your chosen field/career?
I now have a contact list of fellow on-screen reporters who work for Sky News as well as for other journalism companies. I also have access to editors who work for Sky too. These will help me in the future if I am unsure of how to create a certain TV package or want to gain more information about a specific query. Furthermore, they can provide me with other contacts who can help.
Do you have any advice for anyone considering a career in journalism?
Journalism is a degree where you must put yourself out there to get noticed. My advice would be to not give up. As someone who is still learning, I have had multiple people tell me they didn’t want to be interviewed or have received no response from interviewees at all. What I’ve learnt from this industry is you will never fail if you try. Work hard and enjoy the process because it’s a chance to bring a true story to life in your eyes.