Andrea Valdez, a spring 2021 graduate of Tyler Junior College, has been awarded the Jack B. Tinsley/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Scholarship, valued at more than $11,000.
Valdez graduated from Mineola High School in 2019 and received her associate degree in radio/TV broadcasting from TJC in spring 2021. She will begin classes at the University of North Texas in Denton this fall where she plans to major in broadcast journalism.
“TJC has prepared me for my transition to UNT through mentoring from some of the best professors, excellent resources for an easy transition, and the opportunity to get hands-on experience outside of the classroom that will help me with the classes I take at UNT and with programs that I will be involved in,” Valdez said. “I could never thank the wonderful faculty and staff at TJC enough for what they have done for me.”
The scholarship is named for Jack B. Tinsley, an executive editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram who worked at the newspaper for more than 40 years. Applicants must be incoming freshmen or community college transfer students from either the defined 42-county geographic region of East Texas or from Tarrant County and meet minimum entrance and continuing academic performance standards of the School of Journalism.
“Receiving the Jack B. Tinsley Scholarship meant a lot to me because I was sitting with my mother when I got the email and we were both excited and relieved. It just felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. Along with the Tinsley scholarship, I received other external journalism scholarships which means I wouldn't have to worry about paying for college and I could focus on my grades and my activities outside of the classroom.”
In addition to the Tinsley Scholarship, Valdez earned a $3,000 scholarship from Texas Broadcast Education Foundation; $1500 UNT Transfer Scholarship; $1,000 Harold Gunn Scholarship; $1,000 Reitch Trust Scholarship; and $400 from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).
TJC Professor and Mass Communication Coordinator Derik Gray said, “Andrea was one of my best students. She represents the success that TJC and our program work so hard to support.”