Mizzou senior wins first Jerry Heaster Scholarship in Business Journalism

University of Missouri senior Alexander Schiffer received the first $2,000 Jerry Heaster Scholarship in Business Journalism, named after the late Kansas City Star business editor and columnist.

Schiffer, who counts Washington Post investigative reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein among his idols, is pursuing a career in business journalism at the encouragement of his parents.

“I got into journalism in order to keep the public informed on what’s going on in the world,” Schiffer said in a written statement. “Being a business journalist gives me the opportunity to report on things that directly affect the public and help keep the public informed on where their money is going or where it should be going.”

Schiffer interned at the Los Angeles Times earlier this year and has accepted an internship at The Washington Post in 2017. Both internships were underwritten by the Donald W. Reynolds Chair in Business Journalism at the University of Missouri.

“Alex is the first student to win the Jerry Heaster scholarship,” said Missouri journalism professor Randy Smith, a former editor at The Star, in a statement.

On the committee to determine the award were Hope Heaster, who is Jerry’s daughter, and Mike Waller, a former editor at The Star.

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Mizzou senior wins first Jerry Heaster Scholarship in Business Journalism."