Remembering Vu

At this year’s Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception, we honored the life of Vu Nguyen, a former Seattle Times reporter and AAJA Seattle member who died suddenly last month at age 34. We held a tribute to him at the reception because he embodied many qualities that we seek in new journalists – intellectual curiosity, passion for the craft, determination to get the story, and a sense of humor.

A memorial fund is being established in Vu’s name by his family and friends in Orange County. Another is being established in the Midwest where Vu got his master’s degree. If you’d like to make a donation to the Northwest Journalists of Color in Vu’s name, you can know that 100% of your donation will go towards scholarships for young minority college students interested in journalism. Contact Sanjay Bhatt at sbhatt@seattletimes.com for details.

NOTE: Some people wonder why Vu’s byline (Nguyen Huy Vu) put his last name first. That’s the traditional Vietnamese way to honor the family name.