On Sept. 12, Guinevere Grant was named as one of 20 students from across the United States who were selected as part of The New York Times Corps.

The Corps is a talent-mentorship program for undergraduate students who are looking to pursue a career in journalism. Grant will be paired with Sapna Maheshwari, a business reporter for The Times.

Grant – originally from Rockdale County – is currently a correspondent at The Covington News, primarily covering education and government. She is a junior at the University of Georgia in Athens where she is studying journalism and criminal justice.

Grant is also an education reporter for the student newspaper The Red and Black.

“It meant the world to me to receive such a prestigious honor from The New York Times,” Grant said. “As a first-generation student, being able to get career guidance and develop relationships with Times journalists is something I could have never dreamed of being able to do. The program's effort to give guidance to those of underrepresented backgrounds is meaningful to me as someone who grew up socio-economically disadvantaged.”

Managing editor of The Covington News Evan Newton shared his thoughts on the recent announcement.

“Guinevere has done a fantastic job since joining The News as a correspondent and is more than deserving of this wonderful accomplishment,” Newton said. “I’m proud of how far Guinevere has come and am excited to see how far she’ll go in this new endeavor.”

Grant said that this opportunity is special to her, and one that she does not take lightly.

“I hope that the experience will not only allow me to connect with highly experienced journalists in the field but also allow me to show that despite not having the same opportunities, people coming from low-income backgrounds can achieve success as well,” Grant said.  “I have been met with so much kindness from everyone since getting accepted, and I look forward to what's ahead. All I can say is that it's a dream come true.”