EMU Today

YPSILANTI - Shelby Taylor, a senior at Eastern Michigan University and managing editor of its school newspaper, The Eastern Echo, has been awarded a Michigan Press Association Foundation Student Scholarship. Taylor was one of 11 Michigan collegiate journalists to receive the $1,000 scholarship.

Kevin Devine, who is the Director of Student Media at EMU, said that Taylor has continued to grow professionally since seeking out a position at the Echo in 2013.

“Four years ago, Shelby visited the Echo office and inquired about becoming a copy editor,” said Devine. “Working closely with the more seasoned student editors, she learned quickly on the job and became copy chief within a year. She eventually became editor-in-chief in 2016.

"In addition to the normal EIC duties of recruiting, training, and supervising a team of eight editors and up to 60 other student staff members, she was also an integral part of the reporting on some of the biggest stories on campus last year, including student protests and crime stories.”

Taylor is originally from Garden City, MI. She now serves as managing editor of The Echo and is focusing on graduating later this year.

“I was super pumped when I got the email that said I had received the scholarship,” said Taylor. “Not only was it a big help financially, but it was also a huge honor. I've worked at the EMU student paper for five years so this really felt like all my hard work paying off – not to mention, lots of past journalism students who I really looked up to have also received this award, so it was humbling to be included in such a talented crowd.”

Taylor, along with five other Echo team members, were honored at The MPA Annual Convention this winter in Grand Rapids.

The other Echo awardees include:

Column, Review or Blog category:

Second Place

“Stop defending Islam as a religion of peace”

Jacques Vorves

Third Place

“Misfits like Trump and Sanders are a healthy sign”

 C.A. Joseph Peters

Multimedia category:

Third Place

Behind the scenes:  “Eastern Michigan Gymnastics”

Andrew Mascharka

Original comics/cartoons category:

Second Place

“Bleeping Bacon Bits”

Tony Saylor

Sports News/Features category:

First Place

“McCarty visits EMU”

 Eric Coughlin

The Michigan Press Association, founded in 1868, is a nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom through its public policy work, "ease of use" advertising placement, professional development programs and legal hotlines. Since 1990, the Michigan Press Association Foundation has awarded scholarships to journalism students at public and private universities in Michigan.

To learn more about the MPA, visit the website for further information.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.