Promising future broadcasters receive money for college.
July 14, 2021 (Dalton, MA) – The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association (MBA) has awarded 11 scholarships to some of the most promising broadcast students in Massachusetts totaling $30,000 between its Student Broadcaster Scholarship and the Al Sprague Memorial Scholarship.
Student Broadcaster Scholarships are given to students pursuing a career in over-the-air broadcasting and enrolled in a broadcast program at a two or four-year accredited school. This year, ten Bay State residents were selected from nearly 100 applicants for a $2,500 scholarship. Winners were chosen based on financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular and community involvement, and an essay about their interest in broadcasting by representatives from participating MBA radio and television stations.
MBA Executive Director Jordan Walton, MBA Chair and Vice President and Market Manager for Beasley Media – Boston Mary Menna, MBA Vice Chair of Television and WCVB-TV President and General Manager Kyle Grimes, MBA Immediate Past Chair and President and General Manager of WBZ-TV Mark Lund, Audacy Regional President Mark Hannon, and Western Mass News Vice President and General Manager Steve Doerr presented scholarships to the following students during an online presentation:
- Maya Latour, Wilbraham, Communications major, University of New Hampshire
- Annie Bennett, Boston, Journalism major, Emerson College
- Wesley Days, Jr., Longmeadow, Broadcast journalism major, Emerson College
- Tom Geraci, Newton, Communications/Media Studies major, Merrimack College
- Sinclair Samuels, Springfield, Communications major with concentration in Radio and TV, Lasell University
- Shanti Furtado, Fairhaven, Journalism major with sports journalism focus, University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- Ashley Blanco, Peabody, Business of Creative Enterprises major, Emerson College
- Gabrielle Heroux, Fairhaven, Communications and Media/Political Science majors, Merrimack College
Unable to attend the presentation was Oliva dePunte, Falmouth, Journalism major, University of Massachusetts – Amherst and Emily Wallace, Shrewsbury, Communications major, Dean College.
For the thirteenth straight year, an additional scholarship was given in memory of the late Al Sprague, former president of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association. Awarded in the amount of $5,000, this scholarship was presented during the online presentation to Caroline Curran, Pocasset, Government and Visual Studies major, Harvard University.
