Southeastern Channel student wins Capitol Correspondents Scholarship
Thursday, April 27, 2017 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
CORRESPONDENTS AWARD- Southeastern Louisiana University student Maria Goddard of New Orleans, left, was recently presented a $1,000 scholarship check by the Capitol Correspondents Association of Baton Rouge. Goddard, a television reporter-anchor for the Southeastern Channel’s award-winning student newscast “Northshore News” was presented the check by CCA President Martha Shuler, also former reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate and now with the Louisiana State Division of Administration.
HAMMOND – A Southeastern Louisiana University student television news reporter has
been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the Capitol Correspondents Association in Baton
Rouge.
Maria Goddard of New Orleans, a reporter-anchor for the Southeastern Channel’s
award-winning student newscast “Northshore News,” was presented the award at the Capitol
Correspondents Association’s 66th Annual Gridiron Show in Baton Rouge.
The Capitol Correspondents Association of Baton Rouge is a non-profit organization
that supports print and broadcast journalists who report on Louisiana state and local
government and politics. The organization performs an annual gridiron show that provides
an opportunity to roast the political figures they cover with satirical, sharply comedic
musical skits. Proceeds from the show support scholarship programs for journalism
students as well as other charities.
“I just want to thank God and the Capitol Correspondents Association,” Goddard
said to the audience upon receiving her check at the event. “I’m really honored that
you consider students this much and want to support our education and our future,
and it’s really such an honor to meet all of the big shots of journalism.”
“I also want to thank Mr. Rick Settoon and everyone at the Southeastern Channel
because I came in from scratch knowing nothing about broadcasting, and they really
taught me everything and gave me great opportunities,” Goddard added.
To become eligible for the scholarship, a student must have at least junior standing
and major in broadcast or print communications at Southeastern, LSU, the University
of Louisiana-Lafayette or Southern University. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average
is required, along with a letter from the student and three examples of the student’s
work in either broadcast or print format.
The panel of judges for the CCA scholarship committee was made up of current
and former journalists in the print and broadcast professions. Goddard was presented
the scholarship check by CCA president Marsha Shuler, a long-time reporter for the
Baton Rouge Advocate who now works for the Division of Administration of Gov. John
Bel Edwards. Shuler noted that the journalism scholarship is especially important
for Louisiana college students with recent cuts to TOPs funding.
“Our most important thing is our college scholarships,” said Shuler in making
the check presentation. “This year we had so many wonderful applicants, more than
we’ve had in years. Maria has done a lot of work and a lot of really good reporting
for her campus television station, the Southeastern Channel. Also, she was an intern
at WAFB and an intern for WDSU.”
Goddard was also recently honored by the Mississippi-Louisiana Associated Press
Broadcasters with first place in the “Best College TV Feature Story” category for
her story, “Lucky the Horse.” She also recently won a “Mark of Excellence” award given
by the Society of Professional Journalists for Region 12 (Louisiana, Mississippi,
Arkansas, Tennessee) for “Best College TV Feature Story.”
“We’re excited for Maria and extremely proud of her,” said Southeastern Channel
General Manager Rick Settoon. “She’s very talented with a great future as a broadcast
journalist. Maria’s stories have strong impact, and she has the drive and tenacity
necessary to achieve her goals in the television industry.”
Over the past two years Goddard, a communication major who graduates in May,
has also been honored with the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters’ WDSU Billy Pilgrim
Scholarship, the Press Club of New Orleans Scholarship, and the Public Relations Society
of America Multicultural and Diversity Scholarship.
“When I was looking at colleges I put all my eggs in one basket, which was Southeastern,
because I was told time and again that Southeastern had the best communication program
in the state,” Goddard said. “And I was able to witness it myself. Now that I’m graduating
I’m very grateful for having chosen Southeastern, as it’s really prepared me for the
workplace.”
