BIOS OF 2023 CoLLEGE Scholarship Winners
Derryl Barnes, Jr.
Derryl Barnes, Jr. will be a senior at the University of Miami studying broadcast journalism and minoring in sports administration. He was born and raised in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, but now basically lives at UM’s television studio where he anchors, reports, and produces the school’s weekly live news and sports shows. With a love for sports, Derryl spent last summer interning at ESPN and currently works as a creative video intern for the Miami Hurricanes Football team. This summer, he’s heading to New York City to intern with the Wall Street Journal’s Digital Video team. His goal is to be an on-air reporter for a news or sports network one day and to help the TV industry use digital platforms to reach younger audiences.
Diego Ramos Bechara
Diego Ramos Bechara will be a senior studying Journalism, Political Science, and Theater at Northwestern University. Born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Diego wants to be an on-air reporter after graduating from Northwestern. His reporting has taken him to Washington D.C.—where he worked as a fully credentialed Congressional, political reporter—and to Wisconsin, where he covered the 2022 Midterm Elections—and to Israel, where he was able to cover the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a part of a foreign reporting program with the Medill School of Journalism. This upcoming summer, Diego will be in New York City, interning with Nightly News with Lester Holt on NBC. In the past, he's interned with MSNBC and his local Telemundo television station; he's the Political Director of the Northwestern News Network.
MIKAYLA DENAULT
Mikayla Denault will be a senior at Northwestern University studying journalism and political science, with minors in design and religious studies. Her love of journalism and storytelling began when she started writing about her life with two moms, publishing a children's book about her family. Mikayla has previously interned for Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, WBOC-TV in Salisbury, MD, and has attended Northwestern's DC journalism program. This summer, she will intern with MSNBC's Inside with Jen Psaki. Committed to equitable storytelling, her future goals consist of becoming a political news correspondent for a national news organization and delving into other on-air/production roles.
Sarah Ellmaker
Sarah Ellmaker is a senior at Columbia College Chicago studying film and television, with a concentration in producing and directing. Her passion for film and television began when she started writing and producing short films about mental health awareness and political issues. Previously, Sarah interned for GloNation Studios, Green River Films, and Imagine Consulting and Communications. This summer, she will intern with Gloria Calderón Kellett at GloNation Studios in Los Angeles. Dedicated to creating authentic and relevant stories, her goals include founding and leading a production company that focuses on creating accessible stories that amplify awareness and inspire action within our society.