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Rashida Rawls Writing, editing, and reading have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From writing a novel in 5th grade to being the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, I have constantly been around the art of writing and editing. I aspire to become a journalist because the art of writing, editing, and communicating is exciting to me. I am an English major history minor at Spelman College. I really enjoy writing and editing and I want to enter into a profession where I can help other people, and inform them about what’s happening in the world around them. Whether it is proofreading a friend's research paper, or editing a piece about the American Music Awards, I want to be remembered for my service to my community and mankind. I have always been active in school since my high school years. My leadership positions range from President to executive board member. In high school I was Bike Club President (9th grade), Student Government Treasurer (11th grade), Student Gov. Secretary (12th grade), Talented and Gifted—TAG (9th-12th), School newspaper, Hyphonerian (9th-12th), Young Leaders Institute (10th), Ohio Heartland Conference Leadership (11th-12th), High School Advisory Committee (11th-12th), and involved in a host of other extracurricular activities. As a freshman in college, I was an Atlanta University Center (AUC) Ohio Club executive board member, Howard Harreld Hall House Council Treasurer, Spelman Spotlight (newspaper) Arts and Entertainment writer, and I was a Spelman Ambassador. I enjoy being active because I think it keeps me focused on my goals of becoming a journalist. As a sophomore, I was the executive managing editor of the Spelman Spotlight in which three editors share the editor-in-chief position. I was the vice president of the AUC Ohio Club, a member of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, a lifetime member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I was also a player and manager of the Spelman College Tennis Team. My junior year of college, I served as the executive production editor of the Spelman Spotlight, the English Club treasurer, editor of the Honors Program newsletter, a member of Golden Key National Honor Society, and I serve as the Parliamentarian/ Historian of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists Student Consortium, in addition to assisting with other activities. Currently, I am involved in the Atlanta Press Club, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists Student Consortium, Vice President of the Ohio Club, Mortar Board Senior Honor Society member, Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society member, Phi Alpha Theta International History Honor Society among others. I definitely keep myself busy. Some of the community service that I have been involved in has been tutoring children at Happy Time Day Care Center in Mansfield, Ohio. During the summer of 2001, I worked as a volunteer for the African American Heritage Festival on Ohio State University’s campus in Columbus, Ohio. It was a wonderful experience monitoring the safety of all of the fun seekers at the festival. I am currently a tutor at the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, a shelter for homeless children. I really enjoy working with children because they are the future, and I want to make a positive impression on their lives. During the summer of 2001, I had the wonderful opportunity to intern with GLAMOUR magazine in New York City, New York. Some of my responsibilities included researching topics for other reporters, taking the place of the assistant book editor (while she was on vacation), writing book reviews, shadowing a production assistant, organizing files and other objects in fashion/assessories, conducting street surveys, and writing sidebars. I even had the honor of getting one of my sidebars published in the October 2000 issue entitled “Celebrity Chanters”. This past summer (2002) I interned at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) as a copy editor. The experience at the AJC was amazing because it gave me a first hand look at a career that I am interested in. My internship turned into a part-time job when my supervisor asked me to come back as a Features copy editor/ designer in the fall. I am currently a part-time metro/national copy editor at the AJC. I am a 21-year-old female born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio. I come from a very large family—ten family members in all. I have seven other siblings and I am number four with two older sisters, one older brother, and four younger sisters. My father, Clarence Rawls, a General Motors employee, has been there for over 23 years. My mother, Jacqueline Rawls, has been a homemaker since 1976, when she married my father. We are a very close family who has lived a humble life. As the designated homework helper, I’ve tutored my younger sisters and other students in English for many years. I want a career in journalism because I believe that journalists are the link between "the story" and the mass population. History is written from what we report and people are influenced by our writings. Just knowing that I can make an impact on society by reporting a story or expressing my opinion is amazing to me. Also knowing that as a copy editor I am the "last line of defense" for the credibility of a paper gives me a greater sense of duty to succeed, not only for my family, or myself but also for the community I represent. I am very excited to learn as much as possible about the field of journalism; a field I plan on making a career out of. I know that as a copy editor I will not have the glory of a byline or the rush of having a beat to cover on the streets, but I feel that editing is my contribution to making a story readable, concise, and interesting. Current NABJ Allison E. Fisher Memorial Scholarship Recipient |
