Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Garden State Scholarstic Press Association

Summary for students and advisers — Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship

The Kilgore family and friends have established a $5,000 annual scholarship in memory of Bernard Kilgore, administered through the New Jersey Press Foundation. It will be awarded to the New Jersey High School Journalist of the Year, selected in a competition run by the Garden State Scholastic Press Association (GSSPA).

Who may nominate and how the process works
- Nominations are made by high school journalism teachers and school newspaper advisers at GSSPA member schools. Recommendations from professional newspaper editors are encouraged.
- Each faculty adviser should select one student who best meets the eligibility requirements and prepare that student’s portfolio.
- Portfolios are judged by editors from newspapers that belong to the New Jersey Press Association.
- The winner is announced at the Spring Advisers’ Conference.
- The $5,000 scholarship check will be issued after the winner provides GSSPA with a copy of the college acceptance letter. Because GSSPA is a JEA affiliate, the winner also becomes JEA’s New Jersey Journalist of the Year and will be entered into the JEA national competition.

Why this scholarship exists
The scholarship was funded by gifts to the New Jersey Newspaper Foundation from the Kilgore family, The Princeton Packet, the Dow Jones Foundation and others following Bernard Kilgore’s recognition as Business Journalist of the Century (March 2000). Kilgore was a transformative figure at The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones: he expanded the Journal from a small financial paper into a national daily, created The National Observer, strengthened Barron’s and grew Dow Jones News Service into a global business news provider. He also believed strongly in identifying and supporting talented writers and editors — founding The Newspaper Fund in 1958 to help do that.

Eligibility (must meet all)
1. Graduating senior with at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
2. At least two years of service in high school journalism.
3. Intend to study journalism in college and pursue a journalism career.
4. Applicant’s adviser must be a GSSPA member.
5. Entry must be received or postmarked by the stated deadline.

Judging criteria
All nominees are compared against one another, primarily on the quality of their work. Strong candidates will show:
- Versatility — comfortable covering a variety of subjects.
- Responsibility — thorough research and ethical reporting.
- Inquisitiveness — initiative in finding and investigating stories important to peers and the community.
- Skill — clear, creative, and well-crafted journalism.

Your portfolio should also demonstrate a sustained commitment to student journalism throughout high school.

If you are a teacher or adviser: choose the student who best fits these standards, work with them to assemble a clear portfolio, and submit it by the deadline. If you’re a student: talk with your adviser about putting together a portfolio that showcases the qualities above and documents your journalism experience.