Shearlean Duke Memorial Scholarship exceeds goal; awarded to Amy Holm for 2012-13

 

Western Washington University’s new public relations scholarship exceeded its goal of $20,000 just 14 months after it was established in February 2011.  It is the university’s Journalism Department’s first public relations (PR) scholarship since the PR segment was added to the curriculum in 2000. 

Since its establishment, up to half of the department’s students have majored in PR.

The scholarship is formally known as the Shearlean Duke Memorial Scholarship for Public Relations and is awarded annually to a student who writes the best 600-word essay passionately promoting a worthy cause. 

The second scholarship was awarded June 3, 2012 at the Journalism Department’s annual picnic held in Fairhaven Park in south Bellingham, Washington.  Junior Amy Holm, 21, from Moraga, California, is majoring in PR and minoring in history.

The late Shearlean Duke founded the department’s PR program and was the Journalism Department’s chair at the time of her death February 2, 2011.  The scholarship was established by her spouse, Robert Duke, with a $10,000 gift.  The first scholarship award was made in March 2011 and won by Alex Bacon from Yakima, Washington.

With the basic scholarship now in place, Robert Duke and the WWU Foundation plan to continue fund raising so that the $1000 award can be increased or two scholarships can be awarded to PR majors.

WWU’s Journalism Department is a source of journalists and public relations practitioners to newspapers, PR firms, and businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Students are instructed and trained for their profession by professors with substantial “real world” experience before moving into the classroom.

For more information about applying for or donating to the scholarship, WWU’s educational programs, the WWU Foundation, or the Journalism department’s intern program contact any of the following:

  • Western Foundation, Scholarship – Western Washington University, Old Main 430 MS9034, 516 High St., Bellingham, Washington, 98225
  • Robert Duke, Scholarship Founder – 4949 Samish Way, Unit 8, Bellingham, Washington, 98229
  • Peggy Watt, Chair – Journalism Department, Communications Facility 251, MS9161, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, 98225-9161