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One student majoring in journalism and religious studies will be able to shave $1,000 off tuition after a donor fully funded an endowed scholarship last week through the religious studies program.

The Bernita Thompson Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student receiving a dual degree in journalism and religious studies. 

Donor Harry Thompson fully funded the endowed scholarship of $30,000 in honor of his late wife, said Barbara Boyd, Director of Outreach for the Religious Studies program.

Boyd said the money will be deposited into the OU Foundation to build 5 percent yearly interest. This will allow the scholarship to grow.

“Since it is an endowed scholarship, this means it will be available every year, forever,” Boyd said.

“Instead of saying ‘Here is some money’ and giving it out, the scholarship will be here forever as long as the university exists.”

“Since it is an endowed scholarship, this means it will be available every year, forever.”

Three years ago Thompson donated $2,000 to lay the groundwork for the scholarship, until it was financially logical for him to donate the remainder, Boyd said.

Boyd said this scholarship is meant to encourage journalists interested in covering religion to pursue an education in religious studies.

“Harry and I both agree reporters do a terrible job covering religious news,” she said. “Many people in the media will not do their background work. If you are in religion, you can read an article and see gaping holes from the reporter misinterpreting.”

After the beginning of the war in Iraq, it was evident journalists needed to be educated in religion to cover a piece of history heavily influenced by different cultures, Thompson said.

“During this time, there was so much misunderstanding of the Muslim faith,” Thompson said. “I thought we needed to better educate journalists.”

He and Bernita had connections to journalism. Harry Thompson worked at The Kansas City Star, and Bernita worked for E.B. White, the American essayist and literary stylist.

Thompson said his friendship with Boyd and commitment to journalism led him to create a scholarship for a student with an interest in the two  fields.

“I think it is really important to study different cultures and different religions."

Caitlin Byrne, journalism and religious studies senior, received funding from Thompson in the spring of 2007, before it was endowed from the seed money he planted three years ago. Byrne said she used the scholarship to study abroad in Greece.

“I think it is really important to study different cultures and different religions, so I used this money to do what I thought was most important — study abroad,” she said.

Byrne recommends journalists take the time to study religion and other cultures.

“As far as conflict, we will never achieve peace if we don’t understand one another,” she said. “And that won’t happen unless we understand other faiths.”