Reynaud wins Poynter summer fellowship

Congratulations to Cynthia Reynaud, a senior journalism major, who has been awarded a Summer Fellowship for Young Journalists by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Cynthia is one of 16 college seniors and recent graduates chosen for the six-week reporting and writing program from a field of 96 applicants. She will attend seminars led by top journalists and report on events and issues in St. Petersburg neighborhoods. Her work will appear on the Poynter Institute’s Web site.

“We see in Cynthia strong reporting and writing skills, an openness to continue learning and most importantly, the ability to think critically about journalism’s role in democracy and community,” said Kelly McBride, coordinator of the program.

In 2005, Cynthia won a Chips Quinn Fellowship from the Freedom Forum and worked as a reporter for the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. In 2006, she had a summer internship at the Lewiston Tribune, where this photograph was taken. Cynthia spent last spring studying at the American University of Rome, Italy. She will graduate from the UI in May with a major in journalism and a minor in political science. She is the news editor of the Argonaut this year.

Cynthia is the third University of Idaho journalism student to be chosen for Poynter’s prestigious summer program. Brian Passey, a 2004 fellow, is a reporter for The Spectrum in St. George, Utah, where he also reports for USA Today. Jessie Bonner, a 2005 fellow, is a reporter for the Bonita Springs bureau of the Naples Daily News in Florida.

Cynthia already possesses all of the traits of an excellent reporter: curiosity, enterprise, persistence and the ability to adapt to a variety of assignments. The Poynter experience will polish her skills and launch her into a media career.