Journalism alumna Kate McQueen chosen for Henry Fuhrmann Mentor Award
Kate McQueen (BA ’02, LAS; MS ’17, journalism) has been named the winner of the 2024 Henry Fuhrmann Mentor Award by ACES: The Society for Editing and the Asian American Journalists Association-Los Angeles.
McQueen, editorial director of the Pollen Initiative, was honored for her work with new and aspiring journalists and nonfiction writers who are incarcerated.
McQueen, who mentored writers at San Quentin State Prison who were working to tell their stories from behind bars, was awarded a $1,000 prize.
“No coincidence, my progress as a published writer and, far more importantly, as a better person blossomed since I had the good fortune to cross paths with Kate ... I am set to begin a University of California, Berkeley two-year journalism fellowship this fall, which was only possible due to Kate’s coordination and encouragement,” said Joe Garcia, one of Quinn’s proteges.
Before joining the Pollen Initiative, which provides media and leadership training for incarcerated people, McQueen was an editorial adviser for Wall City, San Quentin's prisoner-run quarterly magazine, and worked with the Prison Journalism Project.
“When you give incarcerated writers encouragement to try hard and excel at the journalistic practice, it’s amazing what they accomplish, from starting prison media centers to bylines in The New Yorker,” said McQueen. “Thank you, ACES/AAJA, for recognizing that fostering journalists in prison is important. I’m deeply honored that you chose to highlight my work as a mentor inside the walls.”
McQueen is a writer and lecturer at University of California, Santa Cruz, specializing in literary journalism, with a focus on narratives of crime and justice.
In its second year, the Fuhrmann Mentor Award is given jointly by ACES and AAJA-LA in honor of their late colleague to a journalism mentor who has consistently guided and supported others.
