FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2, 2023
PRESS CONTACT: Clare Lefebure
202-588-9888
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that Cynthia Salinas Cappellano and Nada Merghani are the respective recipients of the Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship and the Kay Longcope Scholarship.
“Supporting the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists is a cornerstone of our mission at the association,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Each year, it brings me great pleasure to recognize and uplift some of our industry’s rising stars with our scholarship program. Both Salinas Cappellano and Merghani have demonstrated a deep commitment to fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ people and communities, and I am excited to see where their journeys will lead them.”
About the Recipients
Cynthia Salinas Cappellano (they/them) is the recipient of the 2023 Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award. Salinas Cappellano is from Omaha, Nebraska, and is a rising senior at Emory University where they are pursuing a double major in Film & Media Studies and Creative Writing. Most recently, they interned at the HBO Documentary Office and wrote for the Georgia Voice on current queer events.
Nada Merghani (she/they) is the recipient of the 2023 Kay Longcope Scholarship Award. Merghani is a proud HBCU graduate who completed their undergraduate degree at North Carolina Central University. They are currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in the Magazine, News and Digital Journalism program at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. They have been published in a variety of local and statewide outlets, interned at WUNC and PBS NC, and are currently employed as the Digital Infrastructure Coordinator for the Southern Vision Alliance.
About the Awards
Each year, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists offers scholarship awards and tuition assistance to student journalists with a demonstrated commitment to the association’s mission of furthering fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship, named for the original founder of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, awards up to $5,000 in tuition assistance to an LGBTQ+ student who plans a career in journalism and is committed to furthering NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ mission of fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community. More information about the Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship can be found here.
The Kay Longcope Scholarship is presented in honor of Kay Longcope, co-founder of the statewide LGBTQ+ newsweekly, The Texas Triangle, and generally regarded as the first out reporter at the Boston Globe newspaper. The scholarship was established in 2008 through a gift from Longcope’s estate and with the guidance of Longcope’s partner Barbara Wohlgemuth. The scholarship provides up to $3,000 tuition assistance to an LGBTQ+ student of color who plans a career in journalism and is committed to furthering NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ mission of fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community. More information about the Kay Longcope Scholarship can be found here.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists partners with The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, a component fund of The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF), to administer the Student Scholarship Fund. For more information about scholarships and student opportunities, visit www.nlgja.org.
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About NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is a journalist-led association working within the news media to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. We promote diverse and inclusive workplaces by holding the industry accountable and providing education, professional development and mentoring. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.