Do you know of any talented UC Davis students who hope to further their careers by becoming better communicators? Please direct them to the Student Writing Fellowship Program, sponsored by Strategic Communications.

The fellowship program will begin in October, with applications open now. 

Among the aspects making this program unique is that it is for undergraduate students in any major. According to the application, “They will be students who are interested in improving their skills in science, arts or humanities communications, for non-research audiences.”

The yearlong fellowship program — which comes with a $5,000 stipend — will benefit the students involved as they improve their writing and storytelling skills, as well as encouraging leadership and professional development. Whatever careers they pursue, fellows who participate in the program will be better at all forms of communications.

And Strategic Communications will also benefit from being able to publish the students’ stories in UC Davis publications.

“I look forward to offering students an opportunity to improve their communications skills while getting some top notch mentoring through our fellowship program,” said Dana Topousis, UC Davis chief marketing and communications officer. “No matter what area of study they’re pursuing, students who love to write should feel encouraged to apply.”

Other perks to the student fellows include having published pieces to show future employers, and partnering with a mentor to work with them on their writing assignments.

The fellowship coordinator, Tanya Perez of Strategic Communications, is excited about her role as the students’ mentor.

“The first cohort of students who participated in the inaugural fellowship program (2019-20) learned a lot about professional writing and taught me just as much about effective mentoring strategies. I love working with UC Davis students, guiding them toward possible careers in writing through feature writing, profiles, news and other stories that show off their university!"

Beyond earning the financial award, student fellows will be eligible to apply for academic internship credit via the University Writing Program. The fellowship is expected to be a commitment of 10-15 hours per week throughout the academic year.

Ideal candidates will have excellent written and verbal skills, and be critical thinkers and problem-solvers. All faculty and staff are encouraged to notify undergraduate students who might be interested in the Strategic Communications Student Writing Fellowship to apply online by Monday, Sept. 27. More information and the position requirements are available online. For any questions about the fellowship, email Tanya Perez at thperez@ucdavis.edu.