BOYD’S STATION RURAL WRITING PROGRAM
Founded in 2019, the Boyd’s Station Rural Writing Program provides the space, resources, and mentorship for college journalists looking to elevate their reporting and writing skills. Focused on long-form journalism, the program is an innovative alternative to the traditional summer internship, where writers are expected to churn out articles and social media posts daily. Instead, we ask our writers to focus on two or three feature news articles each summer that allow them to immerse themselves in the community, develop in-depth reporting skills, practice long-term source development, and structure a long-form article.
The fellowship is directed by Alan Gomez, a former bureau chief and foreign correspondent at USA Today. Alan serves as the editor/mentor for each writer, helping them plan, report, and write each of their articles. Writers are also supported by alumni of the program who have gone on to become journalists at the Associated Press, The Arizona Republic, The Quad-City Times, and elsewhere. The alumni remain actively involved in the selection and mentoring of each writer, and support them before, during, and after their time at Boyd’s Station.
The fellowship is anchored by a partnership with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky’s flagship newspaper. Rob Byers, the paper’s News Director, works directly with each Boyd’s Station writer to plan, edit, and publish their articles. The partnership began in 2022 and has resulted in multiple Sunday, front-page articles for Boyd’s Station writers.
Writers accepted to the program are awarded a stipend for the summer and provided with free housing and office space. For 12 weeks, they live at Boyd’s Station, a historic family farm in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region. They also have access to a dedicated office space at Boyd’s Station Gallery in nearby Cynthiana. The writers share a home with college photographers who are part of various Boyd’s Station photography programs.
Writers are encouraged to develop their own story ideas each summer that highlight an aspect of rural life in America. Past writers have written about the environmental concerns, mental health, physical health, economics, and the history of disenfranchised people living in Kentucky.
Boyd’s Station awards annually the $3,000 Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship to a current college student or recent graduate with a talent for reporting and writing. We look for applicants who display a flair for writing and are highly motivated to take advantage of this unique experience. It doesn’t matter what school you went to or how many articles you’ve published – we search for people who want to immerse themselves in a new community, learn from its people, appreciate its challenges and charms, and write it.
BOYD’S STATION RURAL WRITING PROGRAM PUBLISHED WORK
Melina Walling, 2021
Melina Walling, 2021
Sarah Hume, 2022
Melina Walling, 2021
Sarah Hume, 2022
Margaret Heltzel, 2019
Sarah Hume, 2022
WHERE IS BOYD’S STATION LOCATED IN KENTUCKY?
QUESTIONS
For general program inquiries, feel free to contact program director Alan Gomez regarding The Boyd’s Station Rural Writing Program and The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship.
MARY WITHERS
BOYD'S STATION | FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTOR
The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship was established to honor life-long Boyd, Kentucky resident Mary Withers.
Mary Elizabeth Withers, 69, passed away in 2018. A life-long Harrison County resident, Mary was instrumental in the founding of Boyd’s Station serving as one of the founding board of directors. Mary was a passionate supporter of the historic Boyd Methodist Church, the arts, education and Harrison County, Kentucky. She is truly missed.
