The MBA has launched a number of initiatives over the past couple of years to better engage with youth. One example is the relaunch of the MBA Foundation. The MBA Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable and educational arm of the MBA. We’ve increased our outreach to potential donors and we’ve made more students aware of our scholarship program by engaging with them on social media and increasing the MBA’s presence at student events.
I’m pleased to share that the MBA Foundation Scholarship program will distribute more than $23,000 to 15 scholarship recipients this year. Those are record numbers for both money given and students awarded.
Avery Gordon and Emily Worthmore each received the MBA Foundation’s Charles Earls Broadcast Scholarship. Earls was a Missouri native and operated radio stations in Missouri and surrounding states for decades. He served as the association’s President in 1975 and 1976 and was later inducted into the MBA Hall of Fame. Earls died in 2022. In 2024, his family established a scholarship with the MBA in his memory.
Gordon, from Marceline, is a Senior at Marceline High School and plans to pursue a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. Worthmore, a St. Louisan, is a Lindenwood University student with a double-major in Broadcast and Digital Marketing.
In addition to the two Earls scholarships, the MBA Foundation awarded scholarships to 13 other students.
- Dana Beattie, from Columbia, is a University of Missouri student majoring in Journalism.
- Caleb Brownley, from Carrollton, is a University of Central Missouri student working at Carter Media in Carrollton.
- John Fiene, from Ballwin, is a St. Louis Community College student majoring in Communications. Fiene plans to continue his education at St. Louis University or Missouri State University.
- Mackenzie Franks, from Springfield, is a Fine Arts major at Evangel University and is the campus cable channel manager.
- Brad Hadank, from Bolivar, is a University of Central Missouri student majoring in Digital Media Production.
- Anna Ince, from Louisiana, is a Lindenwood University student majoring in Communications/Broadcast Journalism.
- Garrett Koger, from Springfield, is an Evangel University student majoring in Communications and Media/Film.
- Madison Mabry, from Van Buren, is an Evangel University student majoring in Multimedia Journalism.
- Nickolas McKinley, from Reeds Spring, is a Film and Broadcasting major at Evangel University.
- Ava Potter, from Clinton, is a University of Missouri student majoring in Journalism/Strategic Communication.
- Savannah Reinke, from Malta Bend, is a Missouri Valley College student who works at Carter Media in Carrollton.
- Cayden Simpson, from Kansas City, is a Senior at Liberty North High School who plans to study broadcast journalism and sports at Northwest Missouri State University or the University of Missouri.
- Samantha Williams, from Springfield, is an Evangel University student majoring in Communications and Journalism.
In addition to the scholarships, the MBA Foundation will cover convention registration fees for students to attend the annual MBA Convention in May. We will also assist them in finding internships at MBA member stations.
