NEXT DEADLINE:  Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Left to right, Patnaik, Theriault, Rerras, Edwards, Witt, Horwitz, Jones, Akam, Wanke, Miller, Nessen, Guo, and Repnikova.

The 2009 Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholars

Simon Akam, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Emanuel R. Freedman Scholarship
Haley Sweetland Edwards, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Irene Corbally Kuhn Scholarship
Shipeng Guo, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Reuters Scholarship
Jeff Horwitz, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, OPC Foundation Scholarship in Memory of Fred Wiegold
Jonathan Jones, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Harper's Magazine Scholarship in Memory of I.F.Stone
Michael E. Miller, New York University, Stan Swinton Scholarship
Stephen Nessen, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Roy Rowan Scholarship
Priti Patnaik, New York University, Standard & Poor’s Award for Economic and Business Reporting
Maria Repnikova, Oxford University, Alexander Kendrick Scholarship
Teressa Rerras, Western Kentucky University, David R. Schweisberg Scholarship
Michelle K. Theriault, University of Oregon, Theo Wilson Scholarship
Jessica Wanke, Columbia University School of International Public Affairs, H.L. Stevenson Scholarship
Emily Witt, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Flora Lewis Scholarship.

Congratulations to the 2009 winners of the OPC Foundation Scholarships. Nearly 200 applications from more than 50 different colleges were received in the most competitive year the Foundation has seen since its inception. The awards were presented at the annual Scholarship Luncheon on February 13, 2009.

The Overseas Press Club Foundation is the 501 (C)(3) charitable oganization affiliated with the Overseas Press Club, which was founded in New York City in 1939 by a group of foreign correspondents to improve the profession of international journalism. The Foundation has a broad mandate to improve the media's understanding of international issues and to raise the quality of news-gathering efforts in covering the world. The most tangible expression of this charter is a scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students in American colleges and universities, who aspire to become foreign correspondents. The program began in 1992 and every year offers $2,000 scholarships to 12 talented student winners of a national essay competition. In 2006, the OPC Foundation began partnering with media organizations to offer internships. The Foundation pays travel and living expenses for interns in foreign bureaus. Five of this year's winners will have internships with Associated Press (Mexico City and Johannesburg, South Africa), Reuters (Beijing and Istanbul), and the South China Morning Post.

The Foundation feels it is more important than ever to encourage young correspondents to travel and work abroad particularly at a time when many major news organizations have sharply reduced their networks of experienced correspondents around the world.