Rider journalism major receives full ride to top master’s program

Senior journalism major Sarah Siock earned a full scholarship to the University of Maryland to pursue her master's in journalism.

Siock is the executive editor of the student newspaper, The Rider News, overseeing a staff of nearly 20 student writers, editors, photographers and designers. Siock transferred to Rider as a junior during the pandemic and joined the paper while taking courses remotely. She quickly stepped into the role of arts and entertainment editor during the 2020-21 school year.

“It was very intimidating to transfer schools, and I easily could have chosen to fade into the background,” she says. 

Instead, Siock, who has maintained a 4.0 GPA her entire collegiate career, thrived. She moved into the paper’s executive editor role her senior year.

“I pushed myself to become involved in The Rider News,” Siock said. “Taking that leap was the most important decision I ever made and has brought me so many opportunities.”

Siock started her career in journalism as a student at Bucks County Community College. She served as the executive editor of the student newspaper, The Centurion, for three semesters. Her experience at The Rider News solidified her passion for journalism and prepared her for her next steps at the University of Maryland. 

“I have grown so much as a student journalist,” Siock says. “Working for The Rider News gave me on-the-job experience that will help my career in the future.”

Siock interned for three summers at her local paper, the Bucks County Courier Times in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, working as a general assignment reporter. She will intern again there this summer. 

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland is consistently ranked among the world's top journalism schools. Alumni and faculty members are proud winners of a number of Pulitzer Prizes, Peabody Awards and Emmy Awards. The college has produced a number of notable alumni including TV anchor and correspondent Connie Chung and SportCenter’s Scott Van Pelt. The school is also home to the student-run news organization, Capital News Service, which provides award-winning coverage about Maryland and Washington, D.C.

“Sarah served as The Rider News' executive editor with distinction,” says The Rider News’ faculty adviser. “Sarah will be a success in graduate school because she brings together a trio of important qualities: passion for journalism, lightning-fast adaptability and academic excellence.”