Tab journo scoops top Daily Mail scholarship

A former Tab section editor has bagged a brand new special journalism scholarship from the Daily Mail and Stephen Lawrence Trust.

Victoria Ibitoye, who was Arguments editor in Nottingham last year, graduated in July with a degree in Law and applied for the sponsored Mail training scheme after seeing it posted on Twitter.

Along with Alexander Holmes, who went to Nottingham Trent, she beat off competition from hundreds of other applicants to grab one of just two spots.

Plucky Victoria, originally from Darenth in Kent, faced three tough rounds of interviews after her initial application.

She was grilled by managing editors at the Daily Mail, who whittled down the original 14 person shortlist down to fill just two available slots.

She said: “I showed examples of my work at The Tab to the Mail editors, and they loved it, they’re big fans of The Tab.

“I’d say writing for The Tab taught me that journalism isn’t about writing for yourself per se, a good journalist should seek to serve their readers.

“Essentially, the tab encourages you to produce engaging articles that people actually want to read and share.”

The 21-year-old also faced Baroness Doreen Lawrence, who she had to win over to make it to the final round of interviews.

This is the first year that the Mail have offered the award which comes with a full salary and leads to consideration for a full-time job.

The two winners will learn industry tips and will be paid a competitive salary while they train, leading to consideration for a full-time post.

Alex Holmes from West London, was the first person from his immediate family to go to university and did French and Spanish at Trent.

He took time off after he graduated to teach English abroad and save up for a postgrad course.

He said to the Daily Mail: “This scholarship gives me the opportunity to get the qualifications and experience I need to kick start my career.”

The award is sponsored by the Stephen Lawrence trust which was founded after the South London schoolboy was murdered in 1993.

The Trust, which has previously helped students get into architecture, is widening it’s efforts to other professions and partnered with The Daily Mail to help students get into Journalism who otherwise would not be able to.

Baroness Lawrence says the trust’s aims and ethos are “watering the seeds of ambition.”

Stephen Lawrence was killed in April 1993, in the middle of studying for his A-levels, in a racially motivated and unprovoked attack.