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BBC presenter Dan Walker to ‘personally mentor’ journalism scholarship students at former university

By Freddy Mayhew

BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker will personally mentor two journalism students from the University of Sheffield under scholarships worth £20,000.

The Dan Walker Journalism Scholarship is open to post-graduate students at the university, where Walker himself studied a masters in Broadcast Journalism before starting his career at a local radio station.

Scholarship winners will receive “financial support” from the university as well as work experience opportunities and “personal mentoring” from Walker, the university has said.

Walker joined BBC Breakfast last year. Earlier in his career he reported for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport before going on to present BBC’s Match of the Day and Final Score programmes.

He said: “I’m delighted to team up with my university to try and help two people each year start out in an increasingly competitive industry.

“I don’t want potential candidates to feel that the cost of an education has prevented them from getting the job they have dreamed of.

“Ever since I trained as a journalist I’ve been passionate about keeping the door open for others. This is my way of helping.”

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Professor Marie Kinsey, joint head of the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield, added: “[Dan’s] experience, particularly in the world of sport, will be an invaluable help to people wanting to establish a career in journalism.

“It will build on the experience of news and current affairs and grounding in the issues facing journalism that the department provides.”

The scholarship will be available to UK or European Union students taking either MA Broadcast Journalism or MA Print Journalism at the University of Sheffield in 2017-18.

The scholarships are part of the University’s 100+ Sheffield Postgraduate Scholarship scheme, which aims to offer more than 100 scholarships worth £10,000 each, funded by a number of donations from previous alumni.

Potential applicants can apply online.

Picture: BBC

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