RTDNAC Awards Two Scholarships

The Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas presented two Dr. John R. Bittner Scholarships at its annual student workshop on Feb. 27, 2021.

The 2021 recipients are Kirstyn Clark, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Katia Rodengen, of the University of South Carolina.

North Carolina Recipient

Kirstyn Clark, of Cary, N.C., is a junior pursuing a double major in broadcast journalism and psychology. Kirstyn has extensive experience in front of and behind the camera for “Sports Xtra,” the sports media program produced by the Hussman School of Journalism. She was part of a team that met the challenge presented by COVID-19 to continue producing the weekly show remotely in 2020. Kirstyn was part of a team that won the RTDNAC Student Awards Competition in 2020 for the Best Student Sportscast.

South Carolina Recipient

Katia Rodengen, a junior at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, is majoring in journalism with a minor in media arts. Her goal is to report stories about African-Americans on a national level. In addition to her class assignments, Katia has created an online magazine that features interviews and reviews of local artists. She also has an internship at a recording studio, where she conducts interviews and is involved in graphic design. Katia’s long-term goals include owning and operating her own media company, a clothing line and a talk show.

Each year, RTDNAC awards a $1500 scholarship each to a North Carolina and a South Carolina college student majoring in a field connected to the news industry.

The RTDNAC Scholarships have been named for the late Dr. John R. Bittner, RTDNAC’s first executive manager and a member of the faculty at in the journalism school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Funding for the scholarships has been provided by Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL, Hearst Television Inc./WYFF4 and the RTDNAC Board of Directors.