American News Women's Club

Marissa is a junior at American University majoring in both Film and Media Arts and International Relations. Born and raised in south Florida, she loves life in D.C. but misses her supportive family and the gorgeous beaches in her hometown of Tequesta. Marissa’s passions are writing, reading and photography, but she also enjoys music, painting, theatre, web design and documentary film production. Since February 2005, she has overseen a staff of seven as Managing Editor for Arts and Features at AU’s student-produced newspaper, The Eagle, where she has edited and written numerous articles, designed page layouts and even drawn editorial cartoons in a pinch. In her free time, Marissa writes freelance correspondence pieces for The Northwest/Georgetown/Dupont Current Newspapers and can usually be found exploring D.C. or taking in concerts and art exhibits. Although Marissa aspires to be a reporter, she also hopes to pursue foreign correspondence and photojournalism. In the fall she begins an internship at the Life section of USA Today.

I am a Gallaudet University junior hailing from Fishers, Indiana. I am currently studying for her Bachelors' of Science in Marine Biology, with an expected graduation date of May 2007. In my four semesters at Gallaudet, I have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.94, garnering myself a spot on the Dean's List and recognizing me with President's Scholar Summa Cum Laude honors. I am also the recipient of the Edward Miner Gallaudet President's Scholarship from the University.

I also have been a staff newswriter for the nation's longest consecutively running publication, the Gallaudet publication ‘The Buff and Blue' for what will be my third year. In my work with ‘The Buff and Blue', I have been recognized, for the second year in the row, by being a winner of the Harry M. and Margaret V. Evans Journalism Award in News Writing. I also write for the Gallaudet University Office of Enrollment. I have written pieces for the ‘LINK', a newsletter sent out to prospective students across the country, and the gBLOG, a online weblog. I also have branched out in the private sector, writing for other publications such as ‘SigNews', a South Dakota-based monthly newspaper targeted towards the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and the Deaf Professional Network, a online journal targeted towards the young deaf professional in the DC Metro area.

After graduation, I hope to become a recruiter for Gallaudet University before heading out to study for my Masters' and Ph.D. In the course of my work, I plan to get research papers published. I also plan to promote my journalistic interests by continuing to write articles in publications serving the local and national deaf community.

In my time at Gallaudet, I have been an active participant in a number of various organizations and teams. I am currently my volleyball team captain, as well as being a sister of the Phi Kappa Zeta sorority, a former Assistant Director of Student Rights with the Gallaudet University Student Body Government. I was also a member of the winning College Bowl team at the National Association for the Deaf conference in Kansas City, Missouri. In my free time, I am an avid reader, to put it simply, and a certified PADI Advanced Open Water SCUBA diver.

Jennifer Nedeau, born and raised in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, CA wondered if her 3,000-mile trek across the country to attend the George Washington University in Washington, DC would be worth all the trouble. Knowing that she wanted to be a writer since the age of seven, she decided to attend GWU based on its Journalism program and the dynamic opportunities in DC. As a Freshman, she entered into the School of Media and Public Affairs to study Journalism and Political Science and has been pursuing her dream to be a reporter ever since. Now a rising junior, she is the only female columnist in the Opinions sections of her school paper, The Hatchet, named the best non-daily college newspaper in the country last fall, by the Society of Professional Journalists. She also reported for the University Wire from September 2004 through May 2005, publishing her stories in hundreds of different college newspapers across the country and around the world. She recently won the first weekly prize for the best blog post in CampusProgress.org’s Summer Blogathon Competition and plans to submit articles to major publications over the summer to improve her exposure and file of clippings.

Nedeau is currently the Vice-President of Public Relations and Marketing for the Panhellenic Association of Sorority Life at GWU and participates in the Delta Gamma chapter. She has interned in the Press Office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Capitol Hill last fall, spent her last summer at NBC11 in San Francisco and will be working at an advertising agency in DC this summer. During her free time, she likes to volunteer for Women for Women International, go running around the monuments and search for a good cup of coffee in DC with her friends.

Sarah Abruzzese is a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She is the city hall reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida where she is interning for the summer. She covered crime and justice as well as the Western Maryland delegation in the Annapolis news bureau of Capital News Service -- the college's professionally edited wire service. She worked for The Washington Post Co. for six and a half years, most recently as the overnight editor for washingtonpost.com. She has interned with washingtonpost.com and has written for The Washington Post.

At the 2004 Gala Benefit Dinner
Left- Advisor Dr. Pia Seagrave, advisor at Gallaudet University
Middle- Michelle Eldridge, Gallaudet student scholarship recipient
Right Bob Schieffer

2004 ANWC Scholarship Winners

2004 ANWC Scholarship Winners

Left to right: Andrea Nurko, George Washingotn University

Anne Godlasky, American University

Marlene Cimons, University of Maryland

Andrea Nurko is entering her junior year at The George Washington University, where she studies journalism and criminal justice. She is a 2002 graduate of Easton Area High School in Easton, PA where she was editor-in-chief of her high school paper. Andrea is currently the Style editor of GWU’s award winning student paper, The Hatchet, which was named best non-daily in its region by the Society of Professional Journalists. She is also a former news editor of the Hatchet.

Honors she has received include the 2002 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Writing and The Morning Call Best Special Projects Writing 2002 for an article on sports injuries. Andrea is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She also plays club soccer at GW and worked for the Neighborhood Tutoring Program, teaching reading and mathematics to D.C. public school children.

Anne Godlasky
In the first picture I am on a canal in Amsterdam. In the second I am in front of a mosaic at the Palau de Musica in Barcelona. In terms of something extra to attach to my bio, perhaps just a link to my newspaper's Web site,
www.theeagleonline.com. I am the new editor in chief of The Eagle and I
have been involved with it since my freshman year at American University, so it means a lot to me.

To confirm my e-mail, I would prefer that they go to annegodlasky@yahoo.com. However, obviously I also receive e-mails at the address you currently have for me, anne.godlasky@american.edu. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you.

Jean Francine Medina, 20, began her college career in fall 2002 at Howard University. She is a graduate of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA and is currently a junior pursuing a degree in Journalism with a concentration in Advertising at Howard. Jean, a Filipino American, lives and works part-time in Springfield, VA. In addition to her strong interest in Advertising, she is working to obtain a minor in Photography. Jean is currently a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Annenberg Honors Program and has made Dean’s List since her freshman year. She hopes to finish her undergraduate degree a semester early in fall 2005 and anticipates working with a successful Advertising agency in Account Management. She has delved in Graphic Design and is very interested in the Creative aspects of Advertising. Jean is very excited about winning the 2004-2005 ANWC Scholarship. She admires any organization that supports women pursuing fields of Journalism and looks forward to embarking on her own journey.

MARLENE CIMONS
cimons@aol.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Current: second year doctoral student, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism

Freelance writer Instructor, American University School of Communication, summer program for high school students, The Ethics of News June 21-July 2, 2004

Adjunct professor, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism spring semester 2002.

Adjunct professor, George Washington University School of Public Health, summer semester 2002.

Los Angeles Times, reporter, Washington, D.C. bureau 1969-2001
(View section features/general assignment/politics/ track and field coverage for the 1984 Olympic Games/public health policy, food and drug regulation, biomedical research policy since 1985)

Newsday (Garden City, N.Y.), reporter, 1968-69

Syracuse Post-Standard, reporter, 1967-1968

EDUCATION
Syracuse University, N.Y., BA political science and journalism, 1967

PERSONAL
Born: March 13, 1945, Yonkers, N.Y.
Single
Children: Barra Kalin, born 1987, Calcutta, adopted in 1987. Student at Walter Johnson

American University MacKenzie Ryan

Gallaudet University Michelle Eldridge

University of Maryland Elizabeth Boch

The ANWC scholarship program was launched by Pat Oliver in 1975, and 25 years later it continues to be a critical part of the club’s outreach to young women in the communications field. The club has provided financial support for students at local universities, including the University of Maryland, George Mason, American, George Washington, and Howard Universities, and Gallaudet College.

The Scholarship program has grown with more opportunities for our young winners to get involved with the club. Recipients now have the chance to mingle with members as they attend Professional Pursuits programs. In 1999, three scholarship winners provided hospitality support to the Larry King roast.

The American News Women's Club awards five academic scholarships for each year to one undergraduate or graduate student majoring in fields of journalism or communications at one of the following universities: American University, Gallaudet University, George Washington University, Howard University, and University of Maryland.

In 1997, the ANWC five scholarship students interviewed
His Excellency the Ambassador of Mexico at the Mexican Embassy.

Scholarship Recipient Update

Elizabeth Boch came to the University of Maryland College Park in 2000 and secured her first daily internship the next summer at the "Frederick News-Post". She then worked on another mid-sized daily and became the defense and federal employees reporter for Capital News Service, a Maryland wire service operated by the School of Journalism in the fall of 2002. She also covered the Maryland second district election of the U.S. House of Representatives last fall for the service. She then wrote enterprise pieces out of D.C. for the "Hartford Courant", focusing heavily on the faith-based initiative and wrote over 40 stories for the "Boston Globe"'s metro desk this summer, including several enterprise pieces on community issues like immigration. She hopes to work for a mid-sized metro daily upon graduation in 2004 doing enterprise work and possibly move back to Washington to cover politics at a later date

Mackenzie Ryan is a senior at American University pursuing degrees in Print Journalism and Economics. She is the Editor in Chief of The Eagle, American University's twice-weekly student newspaper. While at The Eagle, she has written a weekly column about her study abroad experience in Dublin and has served as the Campus News Editor, as well as a staff writer and staff photographer. Mackenzie is originally from Orono, Minn., where she attended Benilde-St. Margaret's High School in St. Louis Park and wrote for their monthly newspaper, The Knight Errant. She was also a Founding and Managing Editor at Speak Up, a quarterly supplement to The Catholic Spirit. Mackenzie also interned at The Laker and Pioneer Newspapers in Mound, Minn., where she covered city council meetings and wrote longer features about businesses in the area. Mackenzie aspires to be a reporter at a daily newspaper, and plans to pursue a career in journalism either as a feature writer or an editor.