The Association for Women in Sports Media is proud to introduce its newest class of AWSM Scholars. Since 1990, AWSM has placed female college students in paid summer internships in the sports media industry at top companies from around the country.

The eight young women who were chosen as 2024 AWSM Scholars had to demonstrate their talent and drive throughout our competitive application process.

Scholars who were not placed in internships due to economic challenges at various media outlets are receiving one-on-one guidance from AWSM mentors and additional professional development support. Winners are all receiving a $1,000 scholarship, a one-year AWSM membership and assistance attending a future conference.

These scholarships are possible thanks to our generous benefactors:

·       The Associated Press Sports Editors, sponsoring the Mary Garber/APSE Scholarship

·       Christine Brennan, sponsoring the Betty Brennan Scholarship and Jim Brennan Scholarship

·       Martin Doerfler and Kristin Huckshorn, sponsoring the Founders Scholarship

·       Jim Jenks, sponsoring the Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship

·       Tom Jolly, sponsoring the Betty Jolly Scholarship

·       Myra MacPherson, sponsoring the Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship

·       Jorge Rojas and Jim Jenks, sponsoring the Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship.

Our internship hosts help make this program possible. A special thanks to ESPN, the Los Angeles Times and Perfect Game for serving as scholar employers.

Get to know the 2025 AWSM Scholars below:

Ana Escamilla is entering her senior year at Georgia. She previously worked as a production and talent development intern at Fox Sports, a Paris Olympics staff writer for the Associated Press and a member of the communications teams for the Atlanta Falcons, Nashville SC and UGA Sports. She was a summer intern with ESPN and a recipient of the Leah Siegel Memorial Scholarship.

Ira Gorawara, who is poised to start her senior year at UCLA, grew up in Hong Kong and often visited her family in India. She published a children's book, "The ABCs of Life," at age 17. She is fluent in four languages and has previously worked for South China Morning Post, Cricket Hong Kong and New Delhi Television. She was the sports editor of the Daily Bruin during her junior year. She was a summer intern with the Los Angeles Times and has begun a fall internship with The Athletic. Gorawara is the recipient of the Betty Brennan Scholarship.

Madison Hricik earned her master's degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in the spring. She previously worked as an intern at The State, The News & Observer, The Breeze and the Buffalo News. Hricik also was on-air talent for JMU Sports Network and a media relations intern for the Rail Yard Dawgs. Hricik is the Iowa football reporter for The Gazette. She is a recipient of the Mary Garber APSE Scholarship.

Marin Klein earned her bachelor's degree from Michigan State in journalism in the spring. She previously worked as a broadcast associate for the Detroit Tigers and a broadcast and production intern for Big Ten Student U. She also has worked as Spartan Sports Report director, an NBC Sports sideline assistant and a New England Sports Network Red Sox broadcast associate. Klein is the recipient of the Jim Brennan Scholarship.

Brai Tate is entering her senior year at Susquehanna University. She has worked as a Susquehanna athletic communications assistant during the past two years, with a focus on day-to-day and game-day operations. In addition to taking statistics and operating the shot clock during games, Tate did graphic design work and curated social media accounts. She is a member of the Susquehanna varsity cheerleading team and has worked for WQSU Radio. Tate was a summer intern at Perfect Game and is a recipient of the Joyce-Jenks Family Scholarship.

Isabella Torres Swartz is entering her senior year at Georgia. She previously worked as the director of social media for the UGA Ice Dawgs and as a marketing intern for the University of Georgia gymnastics team. The Georgia presidential scholar also designed a $30,000 marketing campaign for sorority Phi Mu. She interned at ESPN and is a recipient of the Founders Scholarship.

Milena Velez Melendez earned her bachelor's degree of arts in print and digital journalism from Penn State in the spring. She has worked as a sports talk show host for CommRadio, a Big Ten+ soccer Spanish language broadcast analyst and a print/digital intern for El Vocero in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She also worked as a staff reporter and member of the social media staff at The Daily Collegian. Velez Melendez interned at ESPN and is a recipient of the Betty Jolly Scholarship.

Phoebe Winters graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in communication and minors in psychology and science, tech and law. She has worked for Sports Illustrated's Virginia Tech website and did play-by-play work covering the Bethesda Big Train. Winters worked as a sideline reporter for Virginia Tech Hockey Network and a social media coordinator and sideline reporter for Tech Sideline. She currently is an athletic communications intern at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Winters is a recipient of the Celeste Williams Memorial Scholarship.