National Press Club names 2024 scholarship winners

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, has chosen five exemplary students as the recipients of its scholarships that honor promising future journalists serving their communities.

The 2024 scholarship winners are:

Sofia Andrade of Miami, Florida, was recognized with the Summer Lewis Scholarship, which provides housing and a $4,000 stipend to support a student journalist of color interning at a news media outlet in Washington, D.C. Andrade has accepted a summer internship with The Washington Post's Features team for the second consecutive year. A 2024 graduate of Harvard University, she impressed the judges with her commitment to journalism, strong personal statement, and potential for continued professional growth. Read more about Andrade.

Fanta Kaba of New York, New York, was recognized with the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship, totaling a one-time scholarship of $5,000 for high school seniors. Kaba will attend Princeton University in the fall. She impressed the judges with the quality of her writing style and stellar work samples. She already has demonstrated a solid grasp of the art of podcasting and has produced episodes for WNYC Radio and NPR's Code Switch covering public housing. Read more about Kaba.

Ashlee Korlach of Virginia was recognized with the Dennis and Shirley Feldman Fellowship, totaling a one-time scholarship of $5,000 for graduate students. Korlach is a multiplatform editor for The Boston Globe, where she edits print and digital stories as a member of the Copy Desk. She is still deciding where to attend graduate school in the fall and plans to continue working at The Globe. The judges were impressed with the quality of her editing and writing and her dedication to helping the next generation of journalists through mentorship. Read more about Korlach.

Gabrielle Pippins of Plano, Texas, was recognized with the Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship, totaling as much as $20,000 over four years. The judges called Pippins a "trailblazer" for her dedication to journalism, her impressive volunteer work, and her excellent grades. She is a broadcast journalism student at the Mayborn School of Journalism, University of North Texas, where she works as a sports anchor for the university's North Texas Television News, and on a sports panel discussion program called Sportszone. Read more about Pippins.

Alice Scott of Austin, Texas, was recognized with the Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo, totaling as much as $20,000 over four years. This fall, Scott will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in media and journalism. She impressed the judges with the high quality of her work as a reporter and the editor-in-chief of her school's paper, The Shield. During her junior year, she recognized that the newspaper was under-serving Spanish-speaking students — a large demographic at her school — so she advocated that they start printing in English and Spanish. Read more about Scott.

In addition to funding, scholarship winners are awarded a one-year complimentary membership to the National Press Club. National Press Club scholarships are administered by its nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute.

Click here to learn more. Support the Institute's student-focused programming with a donation today.

For press inquiries or questions about the National Press Club scholarship programs, contact Beth Francesco with the National Press Club Journalism Institute at [email protected].

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

About the National Press Club Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

Press contact: Beth Francesco, executive director, [email protected]

SOURCE National Press Club Journalism Institute