The Association for Women in Sports Media is proud to introduce its newest class of AWSM Scholars. Since 1990, AWSM has placed female college students in paid summer internships in the sports media industry at top companies from around the country.

The eight women who were chosen as 2024 AWSM Scholars had to demonstrate their talent and drive throughout our competitive application process.

Scholars who were not placed in internships due to economic challenges at various media outlets are receiving one-on-one guidance from AWSM mentors and additional professional development support. Winners are all receiving a $1,000 scholarship, a one-year AWSM membership and conference attendance assistance.

These scholarships are possible thanks to our generous benefactors:

·       The Associated Press Sports Editors, sponsoring the Mary Garber/APSE Scholarship

·       Christine Brennan, sponsoring the Betty Brennan Scholarship and Jim Brennan Scholarship

·       Martin Doerfler and Kristin Huckshorn, sponsoring the Founders Scholarship

·       Jim Jenks, sponsoring the Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship

·       Tom Jolly, sponsoring the Betty Jolly Scholarship

·       Myra MacPherson, sponsoring the Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship

·       Jorge Rojas and Jim Jenks, sponsoring the Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship.

Our internship hosts help make this program possible. A special thanks to ESPN, the Los Angeles Times, MassLive.com, Perfect Game and USA Today Sports for serving as scholar employers.

Get to know the 2024 AWSM Scholars below:

Clara Cahill-Rogers, who graduated from Boston University in May, was a correspondent for the Boston Globe and completed international internships with the Daily Telegraph Australia and Irish Daily Mail. Cahill-Rogers also covered Boston area sports for BU Today and the Daily Free Press. She was the Associated Press Sports Editors BU student chapter treasurer her senior year. Cahill-Rogers is a MassLive.com summer intern and the recipient of the Mary Garber APSE Scholarship.

Sarah Camilleri, who graduated from Susquehanna University in May, held a wide range of student media production jobs during her undergraduate career. She also served as a creative intern with the Altoona Curve baseball team, the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. During the internship, she designed artwork, created in-house videos and worked as an audio technician assisting with the live broadcast of games. Camilleri is a Perfect Game summer intern and the recipient of the Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship.

Ira Gorawara, who will start her junior year at UCLA in the fall, grew up in Hong Kong and often visited her extended family in India. She's long been an ambitious storyteller, publishing a children's book, "The ABCs of Life," at age 17. She is fluent in four languages and has previously worked for Cricket Hong Kong and New Delhi Television. She will be the sports editor of the Daily Bruin in the fall and is a summer intern with the South China Morning Post. Gorawara is the recipient of the Founders Scholarship.

Savannah Hernandez is poised to start her senior year at the University of Georgia, where she is a UGA Foundation Fellowship Scholar in the Honors College. Hernandez has worked as a reporter, photographer and graphic designer. She has interned with the Marietta Daily Journal and Associated Press during the 2023 Women's World Cup. Hernandez currently is a creative media intern for the University of Georgia athletics program. She is the recipient of the Jim Brennan Scholarship.

Marissa Kraus, who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May, has worked as a reporter and photographer throughout her undergraduate career. She was a member of the Sports Journalism Institute’s 2022 class and completed an internship with the Denver Post. Kraus also has worked at the Omaha World Herald and the Daily Nebraskan. She is a Los Angeles Times summer intern and the recipient of the Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship.

Caroline "Carrie" McDonald, who graduated from Georgetown University in May, completed a mix of sports journalism and public policy internships during her undergraduate career. She was the senior sports editor for The Hoya, Georgetown's student newspaper, and worked for Massive Data Institute, Women's Sports Exchange and D.C. Witness. McDonald also was a legislative intern in Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's office, a communications intern for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and a development intern for Giffords Courage. She speaks three languages, including French. McDonald is a USA Today Sports summer intern and is the recipient of the Betty Brennan Scholarship.

Chiselwa Sandala, who graduated from the University of Missouri in May, has extensive on camera and producer experience. Sandala was a sports and news anchor for KOMU 8 News, a digital content producer for 5th Down and did social media work for WIN Columbia and KOMU 8 Friday Night Fever. She also completed a reporting internship with Slam Magazine in 2022. Sandala is an ESPN summer intern and the recipient of the Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship.

Shelby Swanson, who is entering her senior year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is sports editor of the Daily Tar Heel after holding a variety of jobs at the student publication. Swanson previously was a The Chatham News+Record. She is a member of the Sports Journalism Institute 2024 class and is interning this summer with The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. She is the recipient of the Betty Jolly Scholarship.