"As a family, we are truly humbled that Edinburgh Napier University and mum's friends from her graduation year have decided to honour her in this way. When mum studied here, the strong values of ambition, innovation and professionalism influenced her life in journalism and beyond as she developed a specialist communications company.
"Whilst studying, mum stayed for some of the time in halls which also influenced her life in a big way and developed her appetite for late night political conversations, 80s music, dancing, beer and wine - but what happens in halls stays in halls!
"Our warmest congratulations to Erin Wright, I know my mum would want me to wish you well as you shape your career. In these fast-paced days of change in how we communicate and influence others - you are the future. Work hard and reach for your dreams."
- Jazz, Michelle’s daughter
Remembering Michelle
Michelle studied Journalism at Edinburgh Napier and graduated in 1988 with a HND.
She started her career in the Alloa Advertiser creating local news stories before being offered a staff reporter’s contract with national title, The Daily Express.
In 1992, Michelle was given a special assignment by the editor to travel to Albania with a Scots charity who provided aid to citizens after a coup had been staged by rebels and the government collapsed. She accompanied the aid team as they dropped off parcels at hospitals each day. Her intimate first-hand experience of the situation on the ground and her creative writing informed the readers of the Daily Express about the horrors of war.
Ahead of her time, in the early 1990s Michelle was the first female football writer in Scotland with a regular column entitled 'Birds Eye View' capturing the highlights of football from a female perspective.
Following a move to freelance journalism, Michelle was a regular features writer and columnist in titles such as The Sunday Herald, The Sunday Mail and Scotland on Sunday. Most recently, Michelle worked in the office of Livingston MP, Hannah Bardell.
The Michelle Rodger Memorial Prize
Michelle passed away in 2021 after battling against breast cancer.
The prize was founded by a group of Michelle’s former classmates to pay tribute to their friend and to recognise the future members of the industry. It is given to an exceptional journalism student who has overcome adversity in some way.
Carol-Anne Latta, Michelle's friend of more than 30 years, said:
"This is an award that I wished never had to be created but the fact that this award is in existence demonstrates the impact Michelle has had on so many people in her short life.
"Michelle was absolutely influenced by the values of Edinburgh Napier - integrity and professionalism underpinned by the truth was what she stood for and what she demanded from others in her professional and personal life.
"To know Michelle is to know her campaigning in life, she inspired many women with her energy to believe in a better Scotland and set herself at the heart of 'The Women for Indy Campaign'. Her experience in working at the highest levels of business enabled her to be at the forefront of 'Business for Scotland' to create an in-depth investigation into the breadth, structure and quality of Scotland's economy.
"I would never dare to speak for Michelle, but in the interests of the truth, I would hate for this moment to pass without an opportunity for Michelle to influence a new cohort of communications professionals. No matter the colour of your politics, furnish yourself with the truth, with fact-based information.
“And finally, Michelle would say, "check your boobs!”
Meet this year’s winner!
The 2022 and inaugural recipient of the Michelle Rodger Memorial Prize is Erin Wright!
Erin’s time at Edinburgh Napier
"I really enjoyed my time at Edinburgh Napier! I came in as a mature student so getting back into education was a bit daunting, but the Journalism course was great!
"One of my favourite memories was making a short documentary about women with ADHD for my Final Project in fourth year. As much as I liked covering day-to-day news stories, it was amazing to be able to spend a good chunk of time on a project I was passionate about and cover it in real depth."
Winning the Michelle Rodger Memorial Prize
“It's a really big honour to have won the Michelle Rodger Memorial Prize, especially as this was the first year it was awarded - it’s definitely not something I ever would have expected! Hearing about Michelle’s life was really inspiring, and her passion for journalism as well as her drive to help others even when she was going through such a difficult time herself is something that all journalists should aspire to!"
What does the future hold?
“I've actually just started work as a mental health nursing assistant, with the goal of one day becoming a nurse. I know it's really different to journalism, however while I was at university I had a really tough time with my mental health, and was eventually diagnosed with ADHD. The whole experience was really eye-opening, and made me realise that I wanted to pursue a career in which I could help people who were struggling with their mental health like I was.
"I don’t want to abandon journalism entirely though, since I know how powerful it can be in creating change on a larger scale! Once I’m settled in my job, I want to use the skills I've developed to also raise awareness of mental health issues. In my own case, if people had been aware of how ADHD can present differently in women, I would have maybe been diagnosed sooner, so I want to help stop that from happening to others if I can!"