Nora Faris, of Concordia, Missouri, has been selected as a 2017 Presidents Scholar. According to the Radio Television Digital News Association website, two $1,000 awards are given each year in honor of former presidents; Theodore Koop, Bruce Dennis, James McCullan, John Salisbury, Bruce Palmer, Dick Cheverton, Jim Byron, Ben Chatfield and John Hogan. In addition to the scholarship, winners are invited to attend the Excellence in Journalism Conference. In 2017, the Radio Television Digital News Foundation and RTDNA awarded approximately $30,000 to 12 individuals.

Faris, a senior in science and agricultural journalism in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, hopes to attend law school following graduation and work in the area of public policy. Recently she has served as a legislative intern with the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and as an international and domestic policy intern with the American Seed Trade Association.

During her time at MU, Faris has been involved with KOMU/NBC, Columbia as a television news reporter and with KBIA/91.3 FM as a news anchor and radio reporter. She has also participated in the Walter Williams Journalism Scholars Program, the Discovery Fellows Honors College Research Fellowship and the Collegiate Farm Bureau.

More information on RTDNF’s scholarship may be found at https://rtdna.org/content/2017_scholarship_winners.