Editor’s note: Leezel Tanglao (CQS ’03), in an essay posted to the CQS Web site in September, wrote that amid all the upheavals in daily journalism, some joys endure. One is the network of professional and personal friends made through the Chips Quinn Scholars program. She seeks out and builds on this network wherever she goes in life.

“A network like Chips Quinn has helped to sow the seeds of a solid foundation that fosters relationships that last well beyond the newsroom,” Tanglao writes. “And in these challenging times, these relationships are more valuable than anything with monetary value. They offer hope and assurance, that Yes, you are not alone.”

Now comes another Chips Quinn alum, Brandi Worley (CQS ’05), who in a recent letter to CQS Co-founder John C. Quinn weighed in on a variation on Tanglao’s theme. What follows is an excerpt of Worley’s Sept. 14, 2009 letter to Quinn.

By Brandi Worley

“I was accepted into a lot of internships and Chips Quinn was one of the toughest (in which) to gain entry, but…so well worth it.

“Not only did I get journalism training, but you guys pass out hugs. Real hugs! Hugs for everyone!

“It may seem like a simple gesture to some, but it meant the world to me. I’ve been all over and Chips Quinn was the only place to add that hug. It left an imprint on me.

“And I am taking it everywhere!

“People seem to have left hugs behind, in the past. A hug, holding open the door for the next person coming in. A hug, letting that poor person into traffic, and not seeing it as another car. A hug, saying please and thank you.

“And a real hug, just showing you care. Chips Quinn infused that….

“I am just grateful to pass it along.”

Brandi Worley is the author of “Crumb Snatchers,” a teen novella. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, La. Worley was a Summer 2005 Chips Quinn Scholar at the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer.