As our journalism scholarship ends each year, we’re always impressed by the data-driven stories being submitted. The journalism talent and quality of work we’re seeing from college and university students continues to grow. And this year is no exception as we announce the 2023-2024 winner. 

Our Selection Jury has reviewed the eligible submissions and, after careful consideration, selected a recipient for the fifth annual Investintech – CAJ Journalism Scholarship.  

We’re thrilled to announce that the winner of the scholarship this year is:  

Sonia Persaud 

Congratulations, Sonia!  

Sonia is a student at Western University in London, Ontario, working towards a Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience.  

Her winning submission, What 650 syllabi show about Western’s ChatGPT response,  showcases an effective combination of data visualizations and storytelling. It takes an in-depth look at the inclusion of ChatGPT in post-secondary academics, highlighting the evolving role of AI technology in higher education and its impact on teaching practices, assessment, and learning. 

Sonia will receive the scholarship award, which includes the $1000 CAD cash prize to help with her tuition fees, a free one-year CAJ membership, and a pass to the CAJ National Annual Conference in Toronto from May 31st – June 2nd. 

Of course, the scholarship and its awards are only possible with the amazing partners we’ve worked with.  

We’d first like to extend our gratitude to the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ). Their generous sponsorship of this scholarship has been invaluable to us and journalism students across Canada. We’re honored to have partnered with them again this year. 

A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the dedicated jury members – David McKie, Chad Skelton, and Valerie Ouellet, who volunteered their time and expertise to review the submissions and select the recipient. Their dedication and experience always ensure a thorough evaluation process, holding our scholarship up to Canadian journalistic standards.  

And lastly, but certainly not least, a thank you to all the students who submitted their work for consideration. We applaud your passion, creativity, and dedication. Your work towards a career in journalism has certainly caught our eye. We hope you all apply for the scholarship again next year to showcase your growth and development as a budding journalist. 

In the meantime, keep checking our scholarship page for the next open call for submissions for 2024-2025. Stay tuned!  

With every passing year, the Investintech – CAJ Journalism Scholarship continues to uncover more and more journalism talent coming out of Canada’s colleges and universities. And it’s exciting to see! The submissions we receive every year have continually made the selection process a hard one.   

We’re thrilled to announce that all the eligible submissions have been reviewed by our Selection Jury, and a winning recipient of the fourth annual Investintech – CAJ Journalism Scholarship has been selected. The 2022-2023 winner is:

Tahmeed Shafiq

A big congratulations goes out to Tahmeed! He is a student at the University of Toronto working towards his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Philosophy.

Tahmeed’s winning submission was a story investigating the impact and factors behind significant delays and long wait times experienced by tenants and landlords at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Toronto.

You can check out his winning submission on our Scholarship Winners page.

As the official winning recipient, he will receive the financial, educational, and career-boosting prizes that come with the scholarship award. This includes the $1000 CAD cash prize that will be put towards his tuition. He’ll also receive a one-year CAJ membership for free and a free registration pass to the King’s College Data School for 2023!

While this scholarship comes together every year, it’s only possible with the amazing partners we’ve worked with. They’ve all played a crucial role in the scholarship’s success and we couldn’t have done it without them.

First, there’s the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ). We’d like to thank them for their collaboration and partnership in trying to help journalism students succeed and thrive. We greatly appreciate their continued support and enthusiasm in partnering with us every year to help journalism students get the start they need.

Second, we’d also like to express our gratitude to our Selection Jury. Thank you to David McKie, Chad Skelton and Valérie Ouellet for their time and expertise in evaluating all eligible submissions. The experience and authority they’ve brought to the table ensures that all submissions are held up against current journalistic standards – one of the main pillars of this scholarship.

And, finally, a BIG thank you to all the students who applied! Though there could only be one recipient for the scholarship, the quality of work all of you submitted hasn’t gone unnoticed. We want to acknowledge your journalism skills and effort in putting together your submissions. Your hard work, continued dedication, and interest in journalism is what keeps this scholarship going!

That being said, we sincerely hope that you’ll all apply for the scholarship again next year to showcase your improved data skills!

Stay tuned to our main scholarship page for the 2023-2024 open call to submit your work.