By Phil Kaplan
Associated Press Sports Editors continues its commitment to collegiate sports journalists by awarding six scholarships for 2023.
And for the third year in row, two of the scholarships are awarded to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
- Marissa Kraus, who will be a senior at Nebraska, is awarded the Jack Berniger Scholarship.
- Erin Henze, a senior at DePaul, will receive the Roy Hewitt Scholarship.
- Scarlling Manzanarez, who is graduating from Miami Dade, is awarded the Tim Wheatley Scholarship.
- Shelby Swanson, a junior at North Carolina, will receive the Joe Sullivan Scholarship.
- Kamryn Jackson, a senior at North Carolina A&T, and Ahmad Garnett, a senior at Norfolk State, are the recipients of the Garry D. Howard Scholarships.
Kraus
Henze
Manzanarez
Swanson
Jackson
Garnett
The scholarships are for $1,250 apiece and are awarded based on the quality of the student’s journalism, academic record and need. The scholarship was established in 2007 by then-APSE president Mike Fannin. All six winners also receive APSE student memberships.
Kraus, who is from Columbia, Missouri, is majoring in journalism with minors in psychology and leadership. She is spending the summer as intern for Nebraska Golf Association through the USGA. In the fall, she will be an assistant sports editor for the Daily Nebraskan, the school’s student newspaper. She will also serve for a second year as an ambassador for the college of journalism.
“Sports have always been a big part of my life,” said Kraus. “After years of competing, I realized it was an area I wanted to pursue as a career. Luckily, I also found a passion for writing and photography early on that made journalism the clear career path for me. Once I made that decision, I never looked back.”
Henze is from Shannon, Illinois, and is double majoring in journalism and sports communication with a minor in hospitality leadership. She is the assistant photo editor for DePaul’s student-run newspaper, The DePaulia, and covers university news and athletic events.
“I am very grateful for this scholarship, as it will allow me to continue developing my written and visual storytelling skills in the sports world and beyond,” said Henze, who is also the vice president of the women’s club basketball team.
Manzanarez is from Nicaragua and earned an associate degree in mass communication/journalism. Manzanarez served as the sports editor at the school’s student newspaper, The Reporter, covering baseball, softball, volleyball and basketball. She is transferring to Florida to pursue a bachelor’s degree in journalism, specializing in sports and media.
“Your support is my motivation to keep working towards my goals,” said Manzanarez, who aspires to cover a Major League Baseball team.
Swanson is from Durham, North Carolina, and is majoring in media and journalism and Hispanic literatures and cultures. She spent the summer studying abroad in Spain through the Honors Carolina Burch Fellowship. In the fall she will serve as the sports editor at The Daily Tar Heel, the school’s independent student newspaper.
“I am truly inspired by this organization’s commitment to empowering young individuals like me to pursue sports journalism as a career,” said Swanson.
Jackson is from Prince George’s County, Maryland, and studying multimedia journalism. During her senior year, she’ll be the president of the school chapter of Associated Press Sports Editors and the managing editor of the A&T Register.
Jackson, who is a 2023-34 Rhoden Fellow at Andscape, said she enjoys writing feature stories about innovative HBCU students.
“HBCU students are going to run the world one day,” said Jackson. “Every time I walk around N.C. A&T’s I’m amazed by all of the creativity I see. The HBCU community is like none other, and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
Garnett is from Marlboro, Maryland, and is majoring in mass communications. He is a sports writer for the student newspaper, Spartan Echo, and a sports intern at Focus Sports TV.
“I grew up in a very athletic family, so I have always had a passion for playing, watching, and discussing sports,” said Garnett. “I hope to continue learning and positively impacting the sports culture through my personal, professional, and academic experiences.”
Members of the APSE Scholarship committee are John Devine of the Miami Herald, Naila Meyers of the Star Tribune, Julie Jag of the Salt Lake Tribune, Lisa Wilson of The Athletic, Emily Horos of The Arizona Republic, Jane Havsy of the Daily Record, Perryn Keyes of The Advocate, and Phil Kaplan of the USA TODAY Network South Region.
