The Gridiron Club and Foundation of D.C. has been a long-standing financial supporter of American University School of Communication (AU SOC) journalism students.

Our latest scholarship applications asked students to articulate the role of journalism in democracy while identifying two challenges facing the industry and their plans to tackle those issues.

A judging panel made up of professional journalists was impressed with the thoughtful, passionate responses. The competition was intense, with a significant number of excellent entries.

We’re thrilled to announce our two winners for 2024. The $5,000 scholarship pool was split between one highly qualified undergraduate journalism major and one graduate student in the Journalism and Digital Storytelling (JRDS) program.

The JRDS selection is Josephine Ansbacher. Her essay focused on partisan efforts to disenfranchise voters with misinformation and the weaponization of political speech. Ansbacher is in her first year of the AU graduate program and works as a digital press assistant for U.S. Representative Kathy Manning.

"The Journalism and Digital Storytelling graduate program has allowed me to exercise my creativity while learning new skills that will prepare me for success in a modern journalism field. I have always been passionate about increasing voter education and participation," said Ansbacher. "I look forward to entering the field of journalism to achieve my goal of providing the public with straightforward, concise, and truthful information with which they can form views of the world around them and engage with society. The Gridiron Club’s support of the next generation of journalists is pivotal to the continuation and success of the profession, and I am grateful for their generosity and investment in my education. "

The undergraduate selection is junior Alexia Partouche. Her essay examined the recent layoffs at NPR affiliate WAMU 88.5* and analyzed how an “us versus them” mentality shapes media narratives. Partouche is the staff editor for AWOL, a student-run investigative magazine at the university, and was an editorial intern with Current magazine during the summer of 2023.

Partouche said, "I'm honored to have been recognized by the Gridiron Club and Foundation, and I'm excited to continue my journey in journalism with the support of the club while I pursue new opportunities in the field."

*WAMU is licensed by American University.