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Two MMJC Students awarded the 2025 CBC Joan Donaldson Scholarship

The Faculty of Information and Media Studies is pleased to announce not one, but two CBC Joan Donaldson Scholarship winners from the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program: Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany and Camryn Farquharson.

Josiane and Camryn have been friends since before enrolling in the MMJC program. Their friendship started at the University of Ottawa,where they met through mutual friends. They both applied and got accepted into the MMJC program where their friendship continued and both joined the MMJC student council. Now the pair will continue as colleagues at the CBC.

For Josiane, becoming a CBC journalist is a defining moment for her.

During her final semester in the Bachelor of Communications program at the University of Ottawa, she enrolled in a public broadcasting class simply because it fit her schedule. She didn’t expect much—but what she found was a genuine connection to the CBC’s mission, values, and goals.

That course sparked a passion for the CBC, which led her to apply and be accepted into the CBC Ambassador program. The position included going to events and sharing the CBC mission with the community to generate awareness of the Crown corporation, something Josiane felt very strongly about.

“Being able to say I’m a Donaldson Award winner and now part of the CBC as a journalist is exactly what I dreamed of a year ago. It feels like a surreal full-circle moment,” says Josiane.

Josiane is excited to bring a fresh and relatable voice to the journalism industry that focuses on culture and the stories in people’s own backyards.

“There are great and newsworthy things happening even in our backyards—things that are fun and exciting, that people would want to know.”

Throughout her undergraduate studies Josiane made a point to be a part of journalism through her hobbies. She joined the podcast titled Silent Podcasts, where they were anything but silent as hosts. The podcast discussed a wide range of topics such as recapping TV shows and engaging in debates.

“I think when I was podcasting, that was my journalism because it connected me with people and we were able to bond over topics that we were discussing and connect with an audience that was just interested in what we were saying,” says Josiane.

The aspect of storytelling Josiane finds the most rewarding is being able to connect people together. She hopes to inject a positive and relatable tone into her work as she kicks starts her career.

“I feel like the news is always focused on the sad stories, and it’s stressing out Canadians. I think there’s value in journalism that’s entertaining or fun—or even serious—but anchored in relatability, which I feel is sometimes missing.” says Josiane

For Josiane applying to the MMJC program seemed like a no brainer as it bridged together her education and her interests.

In Camryn Farquharson’s case, the MMJC program may not have seemed like the obvious choice for her next step into grad school.

Camryn did her undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Criminology. At first, she planned on becoming a forensic psychologist.

When she realized after some time that wasn’t the right path for her, she thought about what truly lit her up: learning about people and telling their stories.

That passion made journalism and communications feel like the perfect fit.

“Upon reflecting, I realized that everything I’ve enjoyed in life was tied to creativity in some way. I loved creative writing, poetry, anything that gave me space to express myself.”

Camryn has always learned best through hands-on work. When she found the MMJC program she was excited there is not only a program that bridges two story telling fields together but also focuses on practical, creative work.

“Storytelling is creativity - there is an element of staying true to the stories you are telling while still having a creative license with how you convey the story,” says Camryn.

Camryn thinks there is more synergy between young people and traditional journalists than is sometimes thought.

“I think now more than ever is an exciting time to bring in people who think they’re not interested in journalism. With social media and other platforms, we have opportunities to reach different generations—and that’s only going to help journalism grow.”

Creative expression has always been at the heart of Camryn’s work, and she thrives on the challenge of finding new ways to tell meaningful stories while staying true to their core, adding

“I think journalism, you know, you get a raw person. Real reactions and authenticity.”

For Camryn the Donaldson Scholarship marks the start of an exciting new chapter—this one taking her all the way to Prince Edward Island and CBC’s newsroom in Charlottetown.

Both Josiane and Camryn credit the benefit of learning from instructors who provide hands-on practice with helping them succeed. They appreciate the fundamental journalism skills they’ve learned while also learning about new and emerging digital trends that are reshaping the industry.

"What I appreciate about our learning is that we’re building on strong foundations while also exploring new formats. Journalism is everywhere—it can take many forms and appear in many ways,” says Josiane. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to share that with the world."

For more information about the Joan Donaldson Scholarship, visit: https://www.cbc.ca/news/joandonaldsonscholars