The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) has awarded scholarships totaling $5,000 to two graduate students at Northwestern University’s Medill School—the second such scholarship presentation by the business-to-business journalist (B2B) group. The 2021 recipients are Bryce Jones, a graduate of Iowa State University, and Gabi Rodriguez, a graduate of Florida State University.

Both women are students in the “Money and Journalists” class taught by Medill Professor Ceci Rodgers, who calls mastering that subject “a crucial step to understanding the world of business media.” She praised ASBPE’s “generous support for promising students like Bryce Jones and Gabi Rodriguez, who have chosen to learn about business and money as part of their journalism education.” The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications also hosts a top manager and editor as teaching fellows, giving students “an opportunity to learn more about the evolving B2B media world from top professionals.”

Jones said that after the one-year Medill graduate program she hopes “to work in an editorial role at a digital or print publication and become a freelancer, copy editor or professor later in my career.” Rodriguez said she plans “to refine my skills in journalism and land a career as a staff writer or copy editor for a renowned publication.”

Medill Professor Abe Peck, who helped coordinate the ASBPE scholarships, and who also serves as executive editor of the magazine Inside Unmanned Systems, said the scholarship program “empowers masters candidates like Bryce and Gabi as they develop the subject and format expertise to prosper in our ever-changing journalism environment,” while helping make Medill “a leader in B2B education, from dedicated courses to specialized residencies.”

The ASBPE Foundation Business Journalism Scholarship program at Medill began in 2019, with the first one awarded to Tyler Sonnemaker, who had done undergraduate work at Southern California’s Claremont McKenna College. 

Amy Fischbach, president of the ASBPE Foundation, said the scholarship program honors excellence in journalism education, creates awareness about career opportunities in B2B and supports exemplary Northwestern students in their journey to success in the graduate program.

“The ASBPE Foundation is proud to partner with Northwestern University on the scholarship program,” said Fischbach, Field Editor for Transmission & Distribution World magazine. “We wish Gabi and Bryce a bright future in the wonderful world of B2B journalism.”

If you would like to support the ASBPE Foundation, visit https://asbpe.org/asbpe-foundation/.