<strong>Dallas Morning News intern, Jaycee Marmaduke, receives 2011 Fentress Award</strong> for her online contribution last summer.  <br>

Her managing editor, Linda Leavell had this to say:  In addition to serving as managing editor of The Dallas Morning News’ website, I supervise the newspaper’s journalism outreach programs. So I was already familiar with Jacy Marmaduke as a standout in our high school journalism competition and as her school paper’s editor-in-chief before she came to work as a summer intern at dallasnews.com.  Still, I was unprepared for the way that her letter asking to be considered for an internship would touch me, and I knew after reading it that her persistence and writing talent were a formidable mix. In her letter, she says she has written to The Dallas Morning News three times in her life: Once, as a fourth-grader, to advise us about the dangers of global warming, in what she describes as her first experience with the thrill of wanting to spread the news. And twice to seek an internship.
<blockquote>“Last year, I sent my second letter to the News, applying for the high school local news internship. Needless to say, my attempt was unsuccessful, and I still have my rejection letter folded up in my dresser drawer. I see it as a reminder of how difficult it is to come by success in journalism …”</blockquote>
She goes on to make the case that she wants to tell stories and engage readers. That she “can’t keep the dorky smile off my face” thinking about working for us. And that journalism excites and inspires her.
<blockquote>“This is my third letter to the News, but my frame of mind is the same,” she concludes. “I want to be the medium between the people and the events. Nothing has really changed.”  I am delighted to let you know that Jacy delivered on the promise.</blockquote>
Working at a breaking news website means a steady diet of crime news. Jacy’s portfolio includes plenty of stories with the words “body found,” “dies in apparent drowning,” “fire destroys” and “arson suspected.”  But she also wrote features strong enough to lead our website and be featured on the Metro cover.   In a story packed with nine sources, Jacy examined whether SAT and ACT preparation classes are worth the investment. It’s a piece that continues to pay dividends: each time we write about college readiness or standardized test scores, we bring it back online as a resource for parents.<br>
She spent a day riding trains with two young boys and their parents for a tale about the youngsters’ longstanding obsession with the city’s light-rail system. One of her most moving pieces was about a young man who is relearning life skills after suffering an ecstacy-induced seizure. Jacy contributed to our package of stories about the last Harry Potter movie. She added to the ongoing coverage of the North Texas heat wave. She tackled stories about a community garden and an Operation Kindness shelter. <br><br>
<em>The H.M. Fentress Award was named for Texas newspaperman Harlon M. Fentress who was influential in Waco’s business development and owned newspapers in Waco, Austin, Lufkin and Port Arthur.  <em>The Waco Tribune-Herald underwrites the award jointly with TDNA</em>.