Medill student Margarita Gonzalez Awarded $8K NAHJ Chicago Chapter Scholarship

Being able to be a bilingual reporter at such a big school means the world, and having the scholarship means that those barriers get moved down.”

Margarita Gonzalez

A Harvey native and first-generation student at the Medill School of Journalism is the latest recipient of the NAHJ Chicago Chapter Student Scholarship.

The chapter presented Margarita Gonzalez with an $8,000 scholarship check on Wednesday night at 2112 Studios on the city’s Northwest Side. For Gonzalez, the moment was a family milestone; she was joined by her mother and brother as she accepted the award.

Navigating a prestigious program like Medill can be isolating. Gonzalez noted that during her first year, she was often the only Hispanic student in her journalism classes, despite a growing Latino population.

“A school such as Medill has a lot of opportunities, but there are always barriers there. Being able to have this scholarship opens it up for me,” said Gonzalez. “Being able to be a bilingual reporter at such a big school means the world, and having the scholarship means that those barriers get moved down.”

Gonzalez’s passion for journalism is fueled by a desire to change how the media portrays the South Suburbs and immigrant communities. She recalled how past coverage of ICE protests often focused on fear, leaving her neighbors feeling vulnerable.

“I feel like it just kept scaring our community,” she explained. “My main goal is to open a platform for communities that aren’t always heard. There’s still beauty in life. We shouldn’t always be in the shadows.”

By investing in her education, NAHJ Chicago is supporting a future reporter dedicated to finding the “beauty” in stories that are too often overlooked.