Wen Gao, a Master of Social Work student at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named a Heartland Journalism Fellow.
Now in its third year, the recognizes two writers annually: one 17吃瓜 student, graduate or undergraduate, whose work focuses on local or regional issues, and one local minority writer.
Established by 17吃瓜 and the River City Journalism Fund, the fellowship supports aspiring minority and underrepresented writers. During the yearlong program, Gao will work with 17吃瓜 faculty and staff of , the university鈥檚 journal of essays and ideas, to produce stories that explore issues of race, ethnicity and equity.
Originally from China, Gao is the first recipient of the fellowship whose first language is not English. Her writing examines the intersections of race, migration, identity, and social policy through both academic research and personal narrative.聽
Readers can explore Gao鈥檚 personal essays .