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RTDNAC 2023 Scholarship Winners Announced

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The Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas presented two Dr. John R. Bittner Scholarships at its annual student workshop on Feb. 25, 2023.

The 2023 recipients are Re’Onna Vines of North Carolina A&T State University, and Mia Douglas of Benedict College, Columbia SC. (Learn more about the winners here)

Each year, RTDNAC awards a $2000 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.

RTDNAC 2022 Scholarship Winners Announced

The 2022 recipients are Cassia Sari, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Chloe Barlow, of the University of South Carolina. 

 

 

Cassia Sari

North Carolina Recipient

Cassia Sari, of Cary, NC is a junior pursuing a double major in Journalism and Political Science. She is minoring in Business Administration. Her experience outside the classroom includes a number of internships in Washington DC and Chapel Hill. She will spend the summer of 2022 in New York City as an intern for CNN. Cassia is spending the 2022 spring semester working with “Carolina Week,” UNC’s student run broadcast station. She has served as a reporter as well as working on the technical side of the operation. In the fall of 2022, Cassia is scheduled to travel to Spain for an exchange program with the Universidad in de Navarra and its internationally acclaimed communications program. Cassia is fluent in English and Portuguese. She is conversational in Spanish and continues to master other languages. 

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South Carolina Recipient

Chloe Barlow, of Columbia, SC is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Broadcast Journalism, with a minor in Political Science. She began her journalism experience during her freshman year as a writer for the student run newspaper, “The Daily Gamecock.” In addition, she served as the Community Life Section Editor for the Garnet & Black Magazine. In March of this year, Chloe launched her own podcast which is now part of the University’s student media group. She sees podcasting as means of becoming involved in long-form storytelling. Chloe has set her sights on elevating her podcast subjects and interviews to videos and eventually documentaries.  

Apply by March 16 for 2022 RTDNAC Student Scholarships

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”RTDNAC was crucial to my Elon experience. From my first year, I was granted access to insight, feedback and mentorships with professionals from across the Carolinas. RTDNAC is a bridge to connect students with professionals.”

Those thoughts come from Meredith Stutz, reporter at WLWT, the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio. A graduate of Elon University, she’s one of many past winners of an RTDNAC scholarship.

Each February, RTDNAC awards two $1500 scholarships to two currently enrolled rising juniors or seniors who are pursuing a major course of study with emphasis in broadcast and/or digital journalism.

One scholarship is awarded to a student attending a college or university in North Carolina. Another is awarded to a student in South Carolina.

Now is your time to apply for the 2022 RTDNAC scholarship competition. Applications must be received no later than March 16, 2022.

“I’m so grateful for this scholarship, because it allowed me to focus on my studies and internships,” Stutz said. “Through this focused effort, I was able to have the best possible start of my career in Savannah a few months later (in 2015). Scholarships change lives, and RTDNAC changed mine for the better with ripple effects still felt today.”

The RTDNAC Board of Directors is proud of all of our previous scholarship winners. A number of them, like Stutz, are now working in the professional ranks.

The scholarships are made possible by Capitol Broadcasting Co./WRAL and Hearst Television Inc./WYFF 4 and the RTDNAC Board of Directors.

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
Kirstyn Clark

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
Katia Rodengen

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.

Apply Now for 2021 RTDNAC Scholarship

“The connections I made through RTDNAC have been invaluable during my time as a college student and professional.”

Those are the words of Abbey O’Brien, traffic anchor and MMJ for Live 5 News (WCSC) in Charleston, S.C. As a graduate of the University of South Carolina, she’s one of many past-winners of an RTDNAC scholarship.

“I was honored to be chosen as a scholarship recipient in 2016 and upon graduation have stayed in the Carolinas working as a multimedia journalist for the last five years.”

Now is your time to apply for the 2021 Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas scholarship competition.

RTDNAC annually awards two $1500 scholarships in February to two currently enrolled rising juniors or seniors who are pursuing a major course of study with emphasis in broadcast and/or digital journalism.

One scholarship will be awarded to a qualified student attending a college or university in North Carolina. Another scholarship will be awarded to a qualified student enrolled in a college or university in South Carolina.

The RTDNAC Board of Directors is proud of all of our previous scholarship winners. A number of them, like Abbey, are now working in the professional ranks.

The scholarships are made possible by Capitol Broadcasting Co./WRAL and Hearst Television Inc./WYFF 4 and the RTDNAC Board of Directors.

Any interested student who meets the qualifications should note that no formal application form is required. However, each of these points must be fulfilled for consideration of a student’s application:

  • Name and year in school
  • Home and school addresses and phone numbers
  • College major
  • College honors, offices and activities
  • High school attended and any honors, offices and activities
  • Any other accomplishments, experiences or information the applicant would like to provide
  • A statement (one-page minimum) describing how the scholarship would contribute to the applicant’s future career goals
  • The names, addresses and phone numbers of at least two references. Recommendation letters from each of the references should be sent directly to the scholarship chairman
  • A certified copy of the applicant’s latest transcript

All materials may be emailed. Hard copies sent via USPS are still acceptable. Students should check with the Registrar’s or Records offices to see if transcripts may be emailed, or if the record must be mailed as a hard copy and allow time for delivery.

Applications must be received no later than Feb. 6, 2021.

Applications should be sent to:

Pete Poore, RTDNAC Scholarship Chairman
SCDOT Office of Communications
PooreJP@scdot.org
955 Park St., P.O. Box 191
Columbia SC 29202