Junior in Broadcast receives scholarship

By Sara Lettus
J-School Web Reporter

Amanda Harris, junior in the broadcast department of the journalism school, recently received a $5,000 scholarship from the Broadcast Education Association.

The Abe Voron Scholarship is awarded by the association to a student interested in studying radio. Harris already has some experience from working at a local National Public Radio station in Tacoma, Wash., while attending Pacific Lutheran University. She is originally from Montana and hopes to work for NPR after graduation.

“I want to start far away and work my way back to Montana,” Harris said.

After filling out an application, getting three letters of recommendation and writing an essay about her career goals, the scholarship actually slipped Harris’s mind.

“I’d totally forgotten about the scholarship so I flipped when I read that I’d won $5,000,” she said.

Harris, who is paying her way through college, said the extra help with tuition will also help her save money to buy a car.

As for the journalism program at UM, Harris said she loves it.

“We really get to do hands-on stuff,” she said. “It’s a huge advantage as far as finding jobs.”

According to their mission statement, the Broadcast Education Association is a professional group that has “served as the critical link between the college professors who teach tomorrow’s radio and television employees and the professionals working in the broadcasting industry.”

They offer 15 scholarships annually; most are awarded to juniors, seniors and graduate students. As for criteria, it’s based mostly on “evidence of superior academic performance and potential to be an outstanding electronic media professional.”

For information on scholarships and the Broadcast Education Association go to www.beaweb.org.

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