NORTHAMPTON — Four University of Massachusetts students who completed internships during the past year at the Daily Hampshire Gazette have received awards from the Milt Cole Memorial Scholarship Fund.
They are Shelby Ashline, Jenna Careri, Mariah Hladick and Stephanie Murray, all journalism majors. Ashline and Hladick graduated Friday, Careri completed her junior year, and Murray finished her sophomore year.
The fund was established in 1998 to honor Milton H. Cole, a one-time editor and longtime sports editor and columnist for the Gazette who died in 1997. Upon his death, colleagues described Cole as the soul of the Gazette and a giant in the newsroom.
The scholarship fund provides stipends to support internships by UMass students who are majors in the Journalism Department.
During a gathering May 5 at the Gazette to honor this year’s recipients, Cole’s widow, Nancy Cole, described his passion for community journalism and the support he offered young reporters who were learning the business.
Stanley Moulton, night managing editor at the Gazette and coordinator of the newspaper’s internship program, said the annual awards are a fitting way to honor Cole’s legacy because he served as a role model and mentor to so many in the newsroom.