Concordia College

Roxana Saberi’s Mentor to Speak at Commencement

Apr 22, 2009


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
TRACEY MOORHEAD, Senior Associate to the President
(218) 299-3000
AMY KELLY, Media Relations and Publications director
(218) 299-3642

Roxana Saberi’s Mentor to Speak at Commencement

National award-winning broadcast journalist Margo Melnicove will deliver the Commencement address at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., on May 3.  Melnicove has been asked to step in for Concordia alumna Roxana Saberi, an international freelance journalist imprisoned in Iran.

“We are still hopeful that Roxana will be able to come home very soon,” says Concordia President Pam Jolicoeur. “We would be thrilled to welcome her back to campus as our special guest. She is a remarkable young woman who has quickly distinguished herself as the type of globally engaged citizen we desire all of our graduates to be. We think having her mentor speak is a fitting way to honor the Class of 2009.”

Melnicove has worked in public broadcasting as a reporter, producer, editor, anchor, news manager and trainer for more than 30 years. She has taught journalism at the collegiate level since 1994, currently at Brandeis University in Boston.

Her various roles with National Public Radio included serving as a producer and trainer for early- and mid-career reporters through NPR’s Diversity Initiative, which gave Melnicove the opportunity to mentor Saberi. In recognition of their work together as professional colleagues, Melnicove’s Commencement address is titled “Lessons Learned from a Concordia College Grad.”

Melnicove has earned numerous national honors for reporting and editing, including the 2008 RTNDA/Unity Award (radio network) for outstanding achievement in the coverage of diversity. She also received the Asian American Journalists Association 2008 National Journalism Award (radio) for excellence in coverage of Asian American/Pacific Islander issues.

Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., and its Concordia Language Villages program are recognized leaders in K-16 global education. A four-year, private liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Concordia ranks 12th nationally in number of students studying abroad.  All Concordia students learn one or more of 10 world languages and many pursue international internships and volunteer experiences.

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