Reporter María Inés Zamudio was one of 17 journalists from across the country selected to participate in the McCormick Specialized Reporting Institute on Immigration at the University of Texas at El Paso in September. During the three-day training, Zamudio participated in a ride-along with U.S. Border Patrol agents on the border with Mexico and learned new ways to develop in-depth and investigative stories. As part of the training program, Zamudio is working on a story that will be co-published with Hoy, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the Midwest.
Blogger/reporter Yana Kunichoff received a travel scholarship to attend an Education Writers Association conference in Boston that explored how changing demographics are affecting college enrollment. The event, which was held in September, explored issues such as the growth of community colleges, the rising cost of higher education and the low retention rates for African-American and Latino students. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, addressed how the federal government could increase support for higher education.