Cronkite Student Named Top 10 Scripps Howard Scholar

A student in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication has been named one of the top 10 journalism students in the country by the Scripps Howard Foundation. Ryan Kost of Chandler, a senior at Arizona State University, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship through the foundation’s Top Ten Scholarship Program. Top Ten scholars are chosen each year for their academic achievements, portfolios, personal essays and interest in journalism as a career, according to Judith G. Clabes, president and CEO of the foundation. A panel of newspaper, broadcast and television network professionals chose the 10 recipients. This year’s winners include students from Ohio University, University of Texas, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Syracuse University and Indiana University. Communications schools around the country may nominate one student for the competition. The Cronkite School’s nomination of Kost was an easy choice, said Dean Christopher Callahan. “Ryan has it all: extensive experience at student and professional publications, strong academic accomplishments and proven leadership abilities. We have no doubt that he’ll go far in this profession.” Kost has interned at The Arizona Republic; the East Valley Tribune; the Payson Roundup; Phoenix Magazine; the Oregonian in Portland, Ore.; and the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune. He also served as editor of The State Press, ASU’s daily student newspaper, during the 2006-07 school year. His work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Best of the West journalism awards competition and the national Hearst Journalism Awards, among others. Kost is a member of the Barrett Honors College at ASU and has a double major in journalism and French with a minor in Spanish. Kost said he was working at the Oregon State Capitol when he got the e-mail telling him he was a Top Ten Scholarship recipient. “I’m pretty sure I made a scene,” he said. “I was just so blown away by the foundation’s generosity — and the fact that I’d actually won. The Cronkite School and its faculty definitely deserve their fair share of the credit, too. They’ve supported me every step of the way.” The Scripps Howard Foundation has been honoring exceptional journalism scholars since 1990, the foundation’s Clabes said. “Like their predecessors, this year’s winners represent a very bright future for journalism in America,” she said. The Scripps Howard Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the E.W. Scripps Co., a media enterprise with interests in national cable networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations, electronic commerce, interactive media and licensing and syndication.