High School
High School Scholarship
To be considered for the $1,000 Marianne Beel Scholarship, an applicant must be a graduating senior from a Nebraska high school and plan to enroll in a post-secondary school (not necessarily a four-year college) to study in a communications-related field. Scholarship winners will be asked to verify their enrollment status. Applicants must submit:
- A one-page resume.
- A personal statement of 300 words or less highlighting your experiences and outlining your academic and career goals.
- Links to three samples of work in any combination of writing, photography, audio, video or social media posts/blogs. Work must be done for a high school publication, volunteer organization or employer.
- A reference letter from a teacher who can verify your current GPA and explains why you should be selected for this scholarship.
- Optional: one additional reference letter.
Send the above as attachments in an email to: npwscholarship@gmail.com. Please be sure links to online content function properly. There is no separate application form.
Application deadline for the 2026 scholarship will be announced in early 2026.
Questions? Contact NPW Scholarship Chair Mary Kay Quinlan at npwscholarship@gmail.com.
2025 Scholarship Awarded to McCook Grad
Maryann Kassner of McCook was chosen to receive the $1,000 Marianne Beel Scholarship, awarded to a graduating high school senior in the class of 2025. She is a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she is a diver on the UNK swim team.
In addition to serving as her high school yearbook and social media editor, she also interned at the McCook Gazette and was a medalist in the state journalism contest, among many other high school accomplishments. Moreover, she was a three-sport athlete, as a track and field pole vaulter, cross country runner and swim team diver.
In her scholarship application, Kassner said she always was “known as the ‘why’ child” and found in journalism a great fit for her curiosity. Her internship at the McCook Gazette showed her the power of journalism, she said, adding: “Journalism is more than a job to me—it’s a way to help people.”
The Marianne Beel Scholarship is named in memory of a long time NPW member from Valentine, Nebraska, whose career reflected the value of local journalism.
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Previous High School Winners
2024: Mia Ramirez, Omaha Marian High School
2023: Emely Chairez, Lincoln Southwest High
2022: Elleiana Green, Omaha Marian High School
2021: Jacob Smallcomb, Broken Bow High School
2020: Dillion Muirhead, Valentine Community Schools
2018: Amanda Payne, Sandhills High School in Dunning, NE
2017: Abigail Moody, Burwell, NE
2016: Morgan Wallace, Gering High School
2015: Morgan Peterson, Arthur County High School
2014: Jessica Thiele, West Holt Public Schools in Atkinson, NE
2013: Miranda Wieczorek, Grand Island High School
2012: Anlan Cheney, Cody-Kilgore High School in Cody, NE
2011: Allison Booras, Norfolk High School
2010: Courtney Baum, Mullen High School
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