Announcing the The Robert Nelson Foundation Scholarship
The Robert Nelson Foundation proudly announces the creation of The Robert Nelson Foundation Scholarship. Mr. Nelson had a desire to help young people with their education and the foundation is proud to announce a scholarship program through Grand Valley State University to assist students entering the field of multimedia journalism. Mr. Nelson spent almost 40 years of his life devoted to this field, and the foundation is honored to carry out his passion by helping young people reach their educational and life goals. The foundation will provide four ten thousand-dollar scholarships initially to qualifying students. Coupled with the scholarship, will be The Robert Nelson Foundation Career Exploration/Summer Broadcasting Camp. The camp will be specifically designed for high school students who show a desire and passion for entering this field. The exploration camp will combine the expertise of the university staff with local media professionals to give the students a hands-on experience as well as providing them the knowledge of the next steps for their education. The foundation is excited about this opportunity and partnership to fulfill Mr. Nelson’s desire to help young people reach their goals.
Congratulations to our 2023-2024 scholarship recipients
Lea
My name is Lea, and I will be a senior next year, graduating early in the fall of 2023. I am from the western suburbs of Chicago and plan to attend law school somewhere in the city! Some top schools of mine are DePaul, Loyola, University of Chicago, and Northwestern. I am extremely excited to begin my career in law by pairing my love for writing and journalism with my passion for advocating for our rights in the legal system. Some academic goals of mine are to graduate summa cum laude because school has always been a top priority of mine. I love to learn and am eager to continue learning as I plan to attend law school in the fall of 2024. There are endless opportunities accessible to me once I earn my JD. Aside from practicing litigation as a prosecuting attorney, I aspire to create legally appropriate copy for news organizations. One day, I may be able to create copy for myself for a legal podcast informing civilians of their rights in the scope of the law. Again, the opportunities available to me with my multimedia journalism degree and my JD are endless, and I am excited to see what the future has in store for me. I am immensely blessed to have been chosen to receive this scholarship. The generosity of the donor has impacted my ability to finish my degree in multimedia journalism without the added financial burden that comes with obtaining a higher education. Along with my undergraduate degree in this field, I will attend law school, which is a hefty cost. So, their generosity is deeply appreciated and will play an immense role in my success and ability to make a difference in this world.
Nelson
Growing up in Holland, Michigan feels like a world away from the dreams that I have for my career in sports journalism and broadcasting. As a little kid I grew up dreaming of commentating the sports I love so much. Football, baseball, basketball, and hockey all make up some of the best memories of my childhood and recreational life. Up until my time at Grand Valley, I hadn’t had the opportunity to pursue that dream. As I approach graduation in one year, there is so much that I’m looking forward to doing before then. So much that I need to do. I grew up as the son of a GVSU alum and first-generation college student. This school is in my blood.
I’ll be the sports editor for The Lanthorn, and I’m expecting commentating opportunities to work out with The Whale. I want to host a show on The Whale and continue to do a weekly DJ spot for WLSX radio. Beyond that, once I leave college, there’s no specific place or job I expect to do. I want to find the best opportunity and attack it. I have a connection to a college football show producer at ESPN, which may be my first step out the door of GVSU. Ultimately, I want to commentate the biggest sporting events on major networks. One brick at a time I feel like I can make it happen.
Honestly, I can’t understate how much this means to me. This scholarship is life-changing because it allows me to pursue those opportunities to their fullest. I get to fully immerse myself in the school for one last year, as I get to gain valuable experience doing real work in the multimedia journalism field at the university. Thank you so much. I’d love to meet you if that’s possible.
Jackson
My name is Jackson, and I am entering my fourth and final year at Grand Valley majoring in multimedia journalism, hoping to become a sportscaster for a Major League Baseball team. I grew up in Ravenna, Michigan, but graduated from Grant High School in 2020. This upcoming year, I am looking forward to announcing all of Grand Valley’s games on The Whale with my broadcast partner. Outside of that, I will be growing my craft with other schools as Kent City High School has hired me to call football games, as well as teaching high schoolers about broadcasting, along with announcing for Cornerstone University.
My academic goal is to become the first person in my family to graduate from college. I have pursued college, because I have seen what my dad has gone through while he has worked his life in the trades filled with stress. I vowed to work a job I enjoy every day, as in if you work a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. As a kid from a school with a graduating class of less than 100, I thought becoming a broadcaster would be near impossible. Since I started college, I have led the way on a new track where students at Grand Valley will be able to announce games. I have a mentor who is one of the broadcasters for the West Michigan Whitecaps, and he has brought me on to announce games for Cornerstone University. Since working with him, I have been able to lock up an internship with the Traverse City Pit Spitters, where I will serve as their announcer for their live streams. My goal is to one day become a Major League Baseball team play-by-play announcer.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I haven’t had the luxury of being able to take out student loans, therefore causing me to work over five jobs, sometimes all of them simultaneously. With this scholarship, I will be able to take all of the money I have saved up for college and put that money towards a new car and other big life events, and most importantly, graduate college debt-free. Once again, thank you.
Macenzie
Hello! I’m Macenzie, and I am honored to receive the Robert Nelson Foundation Scholarship. I’m a junior at Grand Valley State University studying multimedia journalism. I chose GVSU because I heard fantastic things about the journalism program, and I wanted to be close to all the opportunities Grand Rapids has to offer. I’m originally from Imlay City, MI, which is a small farm town in the thumb, so it’s been an adjustment. I’m expected to graduate in December 2024, so hopefully I’ll get accustomed to the area by then! I’ve enjoyed my time here so far. This upcoming school year I’m looking forward to getting an internship; I’m hoping to get one in radio because that’s what I’m most passionate about.
I have always enjoyed school, and college is no different. Most days it doesn’t feel like I’m actually in school because all of my journalism projects feel more like a fun pastime than actual homework. I don’t find myself dreading going to class or putting off assignments, and not many can say that. I thoroughly enjoy what I’m doing, and I want that in a career as well. If work doesn’t feel like work, you did something right. I would love to get a career in radio. I participated in one of our campus radio stations WLSX last school year and I fell in love with it. I think it would be awesome to interview musicians and athletes while playing music I enjoy. I think radio creates a strong sense of community as well, which is very important to me. I could do fundraisers for animal shelters, donate concessions to local youth sports leagues, run contests, among so many other things. I would love that opportunity to give back while truly enjoying my work.
I want to say thank you for choosing me for this scholarship as it does not go unappreciated. I work full-time to help fund my education, and it leaves little room for doing much else. Because of this scholarship, I will now have some cushion to be able to explore my future career by getting an internship or starting my own radio show on campus. I will continue to focus on my school career, and I am happy to have more people supporting me along the way. Your investment in my education will not be forgotten! Thank you again for your generous gift.
Congratulations to our previous scholarship recipients
Audrey Whitaker
Multimedia Journalism, Environmental and Sustainability Studies
I am incredibly grateful to receive this scholarship! I am honored to be recognized not only for my hard work as a student journalist so far, but also for my potential to succeed in my career after graduation. This scholarship will enable me to focus deeply on what I am learning in my journalism classes and gaining real-world journalism experience.
I am from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. I am passionate about the environment and journalism, having grown up sailing on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. In my career as a journalist, I hope to use my reporting skills to help others understand environmental issues and to take action to address them.
I am looking forward to serving as associate editor of GV’s student newspaper, The Lanthorn, this year! This will be my fourth year on the Lanthorn staff. I will also be serving as commodore of GV’s Club Sailing team and preparing for life after graduation! I am excited to work on my senior project for GVSU’s honor’s program, which will be a series of blogs focused on “zero waste” consumption, and for the new “Producing for Broadcasting” class I am taking this fall.
Gillian Hanton
Multimedia Journalism
My name is Gillian Hanton and I am an incoming senior multimedia journalism major at Grand Valley. I am originally from Sterling Heights, Michigan, a city on the east side of the state in the Metro Detroit area. However, I am currently working for the summer in St. Ignace, Michigan, a small town in the Upper Peninsula. This is a place my family frequented on vacations while I was growing up, so it genuinely feels like a second home to me.
It is very difficult to describe how thankful and honored I am to receive your scholarship, and how profoundly it will impact my future at Grand Valley State University. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, I had to become a part-time student because of some personal issues with my health and my family’s health as well. As a result, I have had to add on an additional semester to my educational career at Grand Valley. I was very concerned about how I was going to pay for this extra semester, and I have considered taking on an extra job for the next year to reduce some financial stress, as my other academic scholarships will expire after only four years. With this scholarship, you have given me the greatest gift an academically invested student can receive: the ability to spend my time in college doing what I love, without having to worry about financial difficulty.
Writing and journalism are my greatest passions, mainly because I love learning about my community and sharing their stories with the public. I was a staff writer for the Grand Valley Lanthorn, our school newspaper, last year, and it challenged me to become more involved in all aspects of life at Grand Valley, whether that be in sports, volunteer efforts, or the arts. In more ways than one, it made me a better, more well-rounded person.
This coming year, I am looking forward to participating in one of my other passions, theatre. Because performances were halted for well over a year due to the pandemic, I can’t wait to get back onstage and create important art with some of my best friends. I have deeply missed the endless rehearsals, opening night jitters, and countless mistakes made while creating a production. My senior year (plus one more semester) would not have been the same without these experiences, as well as your support.
Sabrina Edwards
Multimedia Journalism
This scholarship will help me tremendously in finishing my education at Grand Valley State University. I don’t receive help from my parents, and I am not eligible for financial aid. Because of this I’ve been paying out of pocket and taking out loans. Receiving this scholarship will help lessen the workload I have during the semester as I work nearly full time as well as being a full-time student during the school year.
I grew up in Wyoming, Michigan but graduated from Grandville High School. There I was able to discover my passion for broadcast news while giving the live announcements for my school. After college I hope to start a career in the broadcasting field, where I can help others share their stories. This year I am looking forward to graduating college and continuing my work at Grand Valley’s student led paper, The Lanthorn. Due to your generosity, I do not have to worry financially for my final school year. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
Robert Novak
Multimedia Journalism
Thank you so much for your generosity. This scholarship will make an enormous difference in my life. Now, I have an opportunity to focus more on academics, rather than worry about my finances.
I’m originally from Michigan’s east side. I’ve worked extremely hard to surround myself with projects and work that I am passionate about since moving to Grand Rapids to attend school. I’m currently working as a production assistant for WGVU Public Media and am an intern at Local Spins. I take pride in my work and love being able to work in multimedia journalism. Thank you again!
The career exploration fund and the scholarship will provide tremendous support to students majoring in multimedia journalism, especially those interested in broadcasting. Because of your gift, these students will have access to experiential learning opportunities that they otherwise would not have had.
Philomena V. Manella
President, Grand Valley State University