New York Legal professional Basic Letitia James and the Metropolis College of New York (CUNY) have introduced the creation of the Ruschell Boone Scholarship, a memorial fund honoring the late Emmy-winning journalist Ruschell Boone, who was a local of Jamaica.
The scholarship will assist West Indian college students pursuing journalism levels on the Craig Newmark Graduate Faculty of Journalism at CUNY or Baruch School, the place Boone was an alumna. Boone handed away in 2023 after a brave battle with pancreatic most cancers.
The scholarship is backed by an preliminary $125,000 endowment pledged by the CUNY Board of Trustees and College supporters, aiming to assist defray tuition and different college-related bills for college students.
“Ruschell Boone was an excellent journalist who touched the lives of everybody she encountered,” mentioned Legal professional Basic Letitia James.
“Her understanding of this metropolis, its communities, and its folks actually made her a New York Metropolis treasure. She uplifted folks whose tales have been typically missed, and all the time confirmed up in the course of the robust and scary occasions as a result of she knew her reporting introduced consolation to this metropolis. With this scholarship, Ruschell’s legacy lives on – empowering a future technology of journalists to embody her authenticity and compassion. I’m so grateful to Chair Thompson and CUNY for offering this scholarship and honoring Ruschell in probably the most impactful means.”
– Commercial –
CUNY Board of Trustees Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. expressed delight in memorializing Boone by means of the scholarship. “We’re proud to honor Ruschell Boone, persevering with the precept she lived by, with this new scholarship in her title for CUNY college students,” mentioned Thompson. “We’re appreciative to her fellow CUNY alumna, New York State Legal professional Basic Letitia James, for having the concept to protect Ruschell’s legacy on this significant means.”
Boone, a devoted journalist
Boone, an Emmy award-winning journalist at Spectrum Information NY1, was recognized for her dedication to telling the tales of New York’s numerous communities. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she immigrated to the Bronx at age 11 and found her ardour for journalism as a scholar at Baruch School. Boone’s profession spanned over 20 years, together with her work at CNBC, CNN, and finally NY1, the place she turned beloved for her considerate and informative reporting.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez highlighted Boone’s affect on journalism and mentorship. “She was an inspirational Baruch alumna who made it her mission to assist those that got here after her, and it’s our honor to maintain the reminiscence of her dedication to mentorship alive with this scholarship,” mentioned Rodríguez.
Boone’s reporting lined a variety of main occasions, together with the pandemic, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2016 Manhattan bombing. She was additionally the primary journalist to interview Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez following her surprising main victory, an interview that shortly went viral. Over her profession, Boone earned a number of accolades, together with awards from the New York Affiliation of Black Journalists, the New York Press Membership, and a New York Emmy for her sequence “New York: Unfiltered.”
Donations to the Ruschell Boone Scholarship Fund will be made payable to the Metropolis College of New York and might be managed by means of a separate account on the CUNY Endowment Fund. Donations requiring a 501(c)(3) designation could also be made to the Analysis Basis of CUNY, the place they will even be positioned in a devoted account.
