The National Press Club, the world’s leading professional organization for journalists, has chosen Alice Scott of Austin, Texas, as the winner of its 2024 Julie Schoo Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism. The award for an incoming college freshman totals as much as $20,000 over four years.
Scott, a senior at McCallum High School in Austin, impressed the judges with the high quality of her work as a reporter and the editor-in-chief at 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 both English and Spanish.
This fall Scott will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in media and journalism.
“My approach has always been that no story is invaluable,” Scott wrote in her application. “It is the role of journalists to authentically capture all members of the community they serve.”
The summer before her sophomore year, Scott participated in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Summer Broadcast Academy, where she produced a video news story about two transgender students from her hometown. The piece aired on the PBS NewsHour evening broadcast in combination with its coverage of ongoing anti-trans legislation being proposed in Texas.
“Alice identified a real need to tell that story, and she told it before Texas government leaders took punitive legislative measures to prevent families from supporting their trans children,” said Dave Winter, teacher and journalism advisor at McCallum, in a recommendation letter. “Alice’s piece was ahead of its time — and it is also representative of a body of work that consistently seeks to tell stories that uplift and/or inform the community.”
Other recommendation letters from her teachers and supervisors praised her professionalism and drive.
“Alice is a leader in every sense of the word,” said Camille Nix, college counselor at McCallum. “She represents the best of what a high school can offer – editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, a Trustee scholar, a National Honor Society member and officer, tutor in the McCallum Writing Center, a McCallum Fine Arts Academy theater major, and an advocate for press rights.”
The Julie Schoo Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism provides the recipient $5,000 per year over four years to support academic expenses. Named in memory of the late Julie Schoo, a previous executive director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding high school student who is considering a career in journalism and will help create more inclusive, diverse newsrooms.
“Alice is already committed to serving her community through impactful, nuanced journalism,” said Emily Wilkins, National Press Club president. “Her work shows a dedication to amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard — a vital practice in our field. We are proud to support her as she starts college in the fall and excited to welcome her to the Club.”
In addition to funding, scholarship winners are awarded 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. 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].
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