Budding local journalist on track for career in broadcast journalism

Sameera Rafiq

Sameera Rafiq, a resident from Deeplish, has had an outstanding year and is on track to follow her dreams and head off for a career in broadcast journalism.

Sameera has already worked with the BBC and Rochdale Crescent radio whilst studying and was asked to present this year's Rochdale Diversity Awards in recognition of her talents.

The 23-year-old student at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) was the first student to receive the Al-Habeeb Scholarship to support her studies for an in MA Multimedia Journalism.

The scholarship, which encourages applicants from black and ethnic minority backgrounds (BME), was established in 2013 by Mohammed Habeebullah OBE, who also studied at MMU, to encourage members of the BME community to become more involved in the media.

Sameera started her MA in Multimedia Journalism in September and is close to completing the course. She is currently working on her dissertation which is a documentary piece about local unsung heroes.

She said: “To become the first Al Habeeb Scholar is a blessing and it has given me the confidence and motivation to represent a voice that otherwise feels marginalised.

“The course has provided me with the journalistic skill set which has enabled me to become an advocate for BME communities on various multimedia platforms. During my studies I created a blog where I write about various topics on trend. This has received a lot of attention, especially with my post on the halal meat issue.”

Sameera now hopes to become a TV presenter and travel the world reporting on news and events.

MMU’s journalism network leader, Mandy Leigh, said: “The Al Habeeb Scholarship has offered a wonderful opportunity for our students and we are very grateful to former MMU graduate Mr Mohammad Habeebullah for his generosity.

“Sameera has been able to use the scholarship to highlight a wide range of issues affecting the BME community.

"I am sure she has an exciting and important career ahead. I have no doubt she will prove to be an inspiration to future students and beneficiaries of this very significant and unique scholarship, which we are delighted to offer again this year.”

Sameera’s achievements also led to her being featured on the front cover of MMU’s alumni magazine, Success.