awsm

Internships & Scholarships

Since 1990, AWSM has placed more than 200 female college students interested in sports media careers (sports writing, broadcast production, social media and media relations) in paid summer internships. Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, complimentary registration and lodging at AWSM’s annual conference and a complimentary one-year membership to the organization.

The application period for AWSM's 2024 Scholars program closed in December. Winners will be announced in early 2024. Contact the AWSM board if you have any questions about the program.

special thanks

Host employers

ESPN and Sporting News will return as host employers for the 2024 internship/scholarship class. AWSM welcomes MassLive as a first time internship host. More host employers will be announced soon.

2023 AWSM Scholars

Alexis Black
North Carolina A&T
Mary Garber/APSE Scholarship

Alexis Black is a versatile multimedia sports journalist who graduated from North Carolina A&T in May. She has been a Rhoden Fellow at ESPN's Andscape and an intern with the Maryland Jewels. She served as president of the North Carolina A&T APSE student chapter and was active with many other student organizations. Alexis is receiving the Mary Garber / APSE Scholarship.

Vishakha Deshpande
Boston University
Betty Brennan Scholarship

Vishakha Deshpande played competitive basketball in India before earning her master's degree in journalism from Boston University in May. She has worked as an NBA Radio intern at Sirius XM, sports editor of the Boston University News Service and reporter for WBTU News. Vishakha is receiving the Betty Brennan Scholarship.

Sarah Effress
Northwestern University
Charlotte Observer
Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship

Sarah Effress is poised to enter her senior year at Northwestern. She has served as staff writer, managing editor and editor-in-chief of SB Nation's Inside NU. She also did color and play-by-play commentary for WNUR Sports and was a CBS News Los Angeles Sports Central production intern. She is a member of this year's SJI class. Sarah is interning at the Charlotte Observer and receiving the Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship.

Madison Hricik
James Madison University
Raleigh News & Observer
Betty Jolly Scholarship

Madison Hricik earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from James Madison University in May. She previously was a writer and editor for The Breeze, the JMU student newspaper, and a freelancer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She was a 2022 summer intern at the Buffalo News. Madison is interning at the Raleigh News & Observer and is receiving the Betty Jolly Scholarship.

Marissa Kraus
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jim Brennan Scholarship

Marissa Kraus is poised to enter her senior year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She previously earned the Omaha World-Herald's Sports Fellowship, working with World-Herald editors to contribute to coverage of Nebraska football and other Big Ten Sports. She also was a summer intern at the Denver Post, a member of the 2022 SJI class and has worked for the Nebraska student newspaper as both a reporter and a photographer. Marissa is receiving the Jim Brennan Scholarship.

Emma Sacco
Susquehanna University
Perfect Game
Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship

Emma Sacco graduated from Susquehanna University with a bachelor's degree in communication in May. She served as the AWSM chapter vice president and was a member of the school's varsity cheerleading squad. She previously interned at the Susquehanna sports information director's office and was a producer for the River Hawk Sports Network. Emma is interning at Perfect Game and is receiving the Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship.

Chiselwa Sandala
University of Missouri
Founders Scholarship

Chiselwa Sandala is poised to graduate from the University of Missouri in December. She served as a digital content producer for 5th Down and an editorial intern at SLAM Magazine. She was a social media producer for KOMU's Friday Night Fever broadcast covering Missouri high school football games and was a sports marketing intern for Mizzou Athletics. Chiselwa is receiving the AWSM Founders Scholarship.

Gabriella Sartori
Brown University
ESPN
Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship

Gabriella Sartori graduated from Brown University with a degree in English in May. She is a versatile journalist who completed an internship at WBZ-TV/CBS News Boston. She also has worked as a senior staff writer at the Brown Daily Herald and was a contributing writer for La Tonique Media. Gabriella was a member of the Brown women’s lacrosse team. She is interning with ESPN and is receiving the Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship.

scholarships

AWSM thanks our generous donors for their continued support and the Sports Journalism Institute for their ongoing partnership. This program would not be possible without their backing. The application period opens each fall.

Betty Brennan Scholarship
Endowed by
Christine Brennan
Betty Jolly Scholarship
Endowed by
Tom Jolly
Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship
Endowed by
Jim Jenks & Jorge Rojas
Founders Scholarship
Endowed by
Martin Doerfler & Kristin Huckshorn
Jim Brennan Scholarship
Endowed by
Christine Brennan
Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship
Endowed by
Jim Jenks
Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship
Endowed by
Myra MacPherson
Mary Garber/APSE Scholarship
Endowed by
APSE

AWSM Interns

2022

Candice Hatch (ETSU)
Sporting News
Claire Kuwana (Northwestern)
Dallas Morning News
Mallory Schnell (Arizona State)
NCAA Digital
Amna Subhan (Arizona State)
Sports Illustrated
Payton Titus (Florida)
Yahoo Sports
Emma Trainor (Oklahoma State)
USA Softball
DonA Traylor-Askew (Georgia)
ESPN

2021

Natalie Bode (North Carolina)
NCAA Digital
Emily Leiker (Missouri)
USA Today
Stormi Leonard (Arkansas Tech)
USA Softball
Christina Long (Missouri)
Star Tribune
Augusta Stone (Georgia)
Sports Illustrated
Arianna Vedia (Texas-Arlington)
Dallas Morning News

2020

Mari Faiello (Florida)
Orlando Sentinel
Aria Gerson (Michigan)
USA Today
Anna Glenn Grove (Georgia)
ESPN
Kennedi Landry (LSU)
MLB.com
Paige Leckie (Maryland)
MLB.com
Ally Lutter (Penn State)
CNN Sports
Chelsea Roemer (Missouri)
USA Softball
Riley Trujillo (Arizona State)
Sporting News

2019

Tess DeMeyer (Brown)
USA Today
Torrey Hart (Claremont McKenna)
Sports Illustrated
Ashley Hodge (Clemson)
ESPN
Devin Kane (Missouri)
USA Softball
Meghan Kelly (Notre Dame)
CNN Sports
Stephanie Sheehan (Connecticut)
MLB.com
Jamila St. Ann (Missouri)
Sporting News

2018

Paige Bird (Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne)
Golf Channel
Rachel Brittain (North Carolina)
Fox Sports
Amanda Christovich (Georgetown)
USA Today
Madeline Heaps (California)
USA Softball
Isabel Miller (Texas)
CNN Sports
Julia Poe (USC)
Sports Illustrated
Blake Richardson (North Carolina)
MLB.com
Anne Rogers (Missouri)
MLB.com
Melissa Rule (Syracuse)
ESPN

2017

Kaitlin Alexander (Florida)
CNN Sports
Amanda Capritto (LSU)
PRO Sports Communications
Courtney Day (Drake)
USA Softball
Erin Dolan (Penn State)
ESPN
Katherine Fitzgerald (ASU)
USA Today
Alaina Getzenberg (Cal-Berkeley)
MLB.com
Eden Laase (Gonzaga)
Sports Illustrated
Victoria Rutigliano (Quinnipiac)
Golf Channel

2016

Hannah Burton (Maryland)
CNN Soprts
Callie Caplan (Maryland)
USA Today
Madeline Lee (Northwestern)
MLB.com
Chloe Pavlech (Maryland)
MLB Network
Emily Roth (Missouri)
ESPN
Shannon Scovel (American)
Sports Illustrated
Hanna Sprague (Michigan State)
PRO Sports Communications
Terrin Waack (Alabama)
Sporting News

2015

Kristen Gowdy (Ithaca)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Elpin Keshishzadeh (San Diego St.)
PRO Sports Communications
Beth Maiman (Oregon)
MLB.com
Ashley Scoby (Kentucky)
Sports Illustrated
Sarah Scrivens (Oregon)
CNN Sports
Alex Tekip (Michigan State)
ESPN

2014

Nicole Comparato (North Carolina)
CNN Sports
Erin Flynn (Richmond)
Sports Illustrated
Kelli Grashel (Oklahoma State)
USA Softball
Brooke Healey (Emory)
ESPN
Kalyn Kahler (Northwestern)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Grace Raynor (North Carolina)
MLB.com
Alexandria Valdez (Montana)
Denver Post

2013

Sarah Barshop (Marquette)
ESPN
Kelly Erickson (Wisconsin)
MLB.com
Maria Guardado (Yale)
Sports Illustrated
Brooke Pryor (North Carolina)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Caitlin Swieca (Missouri)
Denver Post
Megan Stewart (Arizona State)
Scholarship winner only

2012

Kimie Bunyasaranand (Penn)
Sports Illustrated
Paige Curtis (Virginia)
USA Swimming
Ros Dumlao (Illinois)
Denver Post
Chelsea Janes (Yale)
MLB.com
Kelly Parsons (North Carolina)
Washington Times
Tori Petry (Florida)
ESPN

2011

Emily Bayci (Illinois)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Christina De Nicola (Miami-FL)
MLB.com
Jamie Erdahl (American)
ESPN
Sarah Kuta (Northwestern)
Denver Post
Joan Niesen (Missouri)
Sports Illustrated
Audrey Snyder (Penn State)
MLB.com

2010

Mary Albl (Boise State)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Amanda Anderson (Maryland)
ESPN
Abbey Doran (North Carolina)
USA Track & Field
Marlowe Hereford (Marshall)
Salt Lake Tribune
Laken Litman (Texas)
Sports Illustrated
Gina Mizell (Arizona State)
MLB.com
Jocelyn Syrstad (Penn State)
MLB.com

2009

Lauren Blackwell (Oklahoma State)
ESPN
Amy Brittain (LSU)
MLB.com
Anne Larimer Hart (Virginia)
Sports Illustrated
Cecile Nguyen (Santa Clara)
USA Track & Field
Rachel Ullrich (North Carolina)
Raleigh News & Observer

2008

Lana Altman (NYU)
ESPN
Christine Amorose (Cal State Chico)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Lauren Bernheim (Ohio)
Sports Illustrated
Britt Braudo (Emerson)
Detroit News
Amber Kuehn Kremple (Montana)
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Sam Newman (North Carolina)
MLB.com
April Prior (Ohio)
MLB.com
Elizabeth Rauf (Montana)
Miami Herald
Gabriella Remington (North Carolina)
MLB.com

2007

Janiece Gatson (Kansas)
St. Petersburg Times
Jen Iso (Pepperdine)
ESPN
Lauren Kobylarz (Duke)
MLB.com
Elizabeth McCue (Texas)
Sports Illustrated
Krysten Powers (LSU)
Detroit News
Chelsea Thornton (Cal State Chico)
Salt Lake Tribune
Jenny Vrentas (Columbia)
Newark Star-Ledger
Kelcey Zutavern (Doane)
USA Track & Field

2006

DaShawn Brown (North Carolina)
ESPN
Briana Gorman (North Carolina)
Detroit News
Lisa Kennelly (Harvard)
Newark Star-Ledger
Jill McCormick (Colorado State)
USA Track & Field
Rebecca Plevin (Northwestern)
Sports Illustrated
Becky Regan (Cal State Chico)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Allison Tiberia (South Florida)
St. Petersburg Times

2005

Tania Ganguli (Northwestern)
Sports Illustrated
Jamie Hancock (North Carolina)
Detroit News
Erin Kendrick (Maryland)
Newark Star-Ledger
Dawn Klemish (Michigan State)
St. Petersburg Times
Megan Kolodgy (Michigan)
Cleveland Plain Dealer

2004

Stacy Bauman (Wisconsin)
Arizona Republic
Rosanna Chea (UCLA)
St. Petersburg Times
Maureen Fulton (Missouri)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Brenda Lee (Harvard)
Sports Illustrated
Larra Overton (Indiana)
ESPN
Sarah Rothschild (Northwestern)
Newark Star-Ledger

2003

Andrea Cohen (Northwestern)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Kellie Dixon (North Carolina)
Arizona Republic
Tara Hernandez (Michigan State)
ESPN
Jessica Garrison (Virginia)
Sports Illustrated
Julia Wood (Georgetown)
St. Petersburg Times

2002

Lindsay Augustyn (Nebraska)
St. Petersburg Times
Emily Badger (Northwestern)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Abby Bultmeier (Purdue)
US Olympic Committee
Janny Hu (Cal-Berkeley)
Dallas Morning News
Jill Inkrott (Miami-OH)
Sports Illustrated
Krista Jahnke (Michigan State)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Nicole Ling (Northern Kentucky)
Nike
Kelly Lusk (North Carolina)
ESPN

2001

Rachel Carter Beard (North Carolina)
Newsday
Alexandra Berwitz (Syracuse)
Nike
Robyn Disney (South Florida)
St. Petersburg Times
Sarah Henning (Kansas)
Colorado Springs Gazette
Jessica Hopp (Missouri)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Kathleen O'Brien (Notre Dame)
Dallas Morning News
Melissa Segura (Santa Clara)
Sports Illustrated
Lauryn Taubman (Syracuse)
ESPN
LaKesha Whitaker (Memphis)
US Olympic Committee

2000

Stacy Covitz (Missouri)
ESPN
Megan Decicco (Cal State Chico)
Scholarship only
Carmen Drumgoole (Louisiana Tech)
Scholarship only
Carrie Garzich (Kent State)
Cincinnati Enquirer
Leslie Horna (Florida)
US Olympic Committee
Traci Johnson (Troy State)
St. Petersburg Times
Megan Manfull Ortiz (Iowa)
Newsday
Kristen Porter (Illinois)
Sports Illustrated
Dawn Reiss (Indiana)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Aimee Santos (San Jose State)
NHL
Andrea Woo (Northwestern)
Sports Illustrated

1999

Rachel Cohen (Duke)
Gannett
Jamie Meerpohl (Florida State)
WFNZ (Charlotte)
Kerry Murray (Cal State Fullerton)
Sports Illustrated
Hillary Smith (Michigan State)
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Jennifer Starks (Fresno State)
St. Petersburg Times
Carla Swinehart (Wisconsin)
Nike
Michelle Tuckner (Kansas)
ESPN

1998

Courtney Crowley (James Madison)
Gannett
Danielle Rumore Lundquist (Michigan)
Detroit Free Press
Laura Nemec (Wisconsin)
St. Petersburg Times
Elizabeth Newman (Colorado)
Sports Illustrated
Katie-Daryl Sotak (Arizona State)
Sports Fan Radio Network
Sarah Taylor (Indiana)
Nike

1997

Pam Greenfield (Ohio)
Minnesota Vikings
Jennifer Harter (Indiana)
Cincinnati Enquirer
Mary Ann Lawrence (E. Kentucky)
St. Petersburg Times
Robbi Pickeral (North Carolina)
Sports Illustrated
Shira Springer (Northern Kentucky)
Rochester Democrat-Chronicle

1996

Joanna Chadwick (Missouri)
Sports Illustrated
Sheri Drucker (Northwestern)
ESPN
Valerie Panou (Wisconsin)
St. Petersburg Times
Jodie Valade (Northwestern)
San Bernardino Sun
Ayanna Wakefield (Oklahoma)
Minnesota Vikings

1995

Erin Flynn (LaSalle)
ESPN
Beth Neefjes (North Carolina)
Sports Illustrated
Penny Rogers (North Carolina)
Minnesota Vikings

1994

Rachel Nichols (Northwestern)
Washington Post

1993

Josie Karp (Harvard)
Boston Globe

1992

Lori Nickel (Indiana)
Sports Illustrated
Liz Robbins (Cornell)
Washington Post

1991

Amy Shipley (Princeton)
Washington Post

1990

Vicki Friedman (George Washington)
Philadelphia Inquirer

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