The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) and Freedom 55 Financial have awarded this year’s Freedom 55 Financial GJAC Journalism Scholarship to Declan Riley, a fourth-year journalism student at MacEwan.
Riley, who works as a National Correspondent for USports and the MacEwan University Griffins, also has freelance experience writing for several outlets including the Dawson Creek Mirror, the Catholic Register and Alaska Highway News.
“Winning this scholarship is an incredible honour,” said Riley. “You hear so much about how tough it is in the journalism industry, and to be chosen shows that good things are still happening to sports journalists every day. I applied for this scholarship just as a shot in the dark and I want this to be a lesson for everyone; apply for that job, apply for that scholarship, go for that interview."
Riley receives $2,000 from Freedom 55 Financial for his efforts along with in-person mentorship and development from GJAC members and is invited to attend GJAC’s annual Writing and Photography Awards ceremony and dinner in July at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in July.
“At Freedom 55 Financial, we are proud to support the development of Canadian golf journalism,” said Abbie MacMillan, Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial. “Our organization has a long history of helping Canadians pursue their dreams and we’re happy to be part of Declan’s bright future.”
A passion for learning new skills and a knack for the craft of storytelling were among the traits Riley displayed that impressed the award’s selection panel.
“Declan’s passion for sports journalism and storytelling shone through in his submission. He has a bright future in the industry and continues the trend of worthy scholarship winners,” said Jason Logan, GJAC Scholarship Coordinator and Editor of SCOREGolf.
Established in 2006, part of GJAC’s mandate is to promote golf journalism in Canada and recognize excellence in Canadian golf journalism. The focus of this scholarship is to encourage excellence in sports writing by student journalists across the country.
