Mandy Barrios, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in journalism, won a scholarship from the Carolina Foundation to pursue the official master’s degree in Editing, Production, and New Journalistic Technologies at the newspaper El Mundo, which she is currently pursuing at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid.
The master’s program is offered in collaboration with the School of Journalism and Communication at Unidad Editorial and CEU San Pablo University, Barrios explained. It lasts one year, with classes running from October to March. Following that, the internship begins in April and runs through September at the El Mundo newsroom.
I'm very curious and aware that the profession changes a lot in a short amount of time. I'm always reading and looking for ways to keep growing and avoid feeling left behind.
After graduating, he specialized in digital journalism and social media. He completed ORT’s Social Media Refresher Program, then traveled to Buenos Aires to pursue a graduate degree in digital journalism at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, in collaboration with Google Argentina and the Todo Noticias (TN) network.
“The idea of studying abroad was always on my mind,” she said from Spain. “I knew about the Carolina Foundation from other scholarship recipients; it helped me a lot to talk to them and hear about what the selection process was like. I knew it was difficult to get the scholarship, but I decided to apply.” At the time, she was working as a social media subeditor at the newspaper El Observador and had two years of journalism experience at Radio El Espectador.
She said that the scholarship application process “was straightforward but thorough” in terms of documentation and requirements. “I had to submit my academic transcripts, answer questions, send my resume, submit my thesis, and write a statement of purpose.” In the final stage, she was invited to an interview to discuss her expectations and background.
“Fortunately, things went well for me, and I received an email informing me that I had been selected for the scholarship,” she said. On this occasion, only two scholarships were awarded: one went to Mandy Barrios, and the other was awarded to a Colombian journalist.
While he was going through the visa application process, he submitted another set of documents to the university. “There are different types of scholarships. In my case, they give me money every month to live in Madrid: they pay for my travel expenses, health insurance, and part of my tuition.”
She has been living in Spain since mid-October, and she said the experience has been “spectacular.”
I'm learning a lot. It's a very practical master's program, and every week we have guest speakers and professors from *El Mundo*, as well as from other media outlets and various universities, both domestic and international. I hope to continue growing both professionally and personally.