The National Press Club (NPC) has chosen Komlavi Adissem of St. Louis, Mo., as the inaugural recipient of its Lewis Scholarship. The scholarship provides free housing and a monthly stipend to support student journalists of color who are interning at news media outlets in Washington, D.C., reports NPC.

Adissem has accepted a Spring 2023 internship with Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC. A student at the University of Missouri, he impressed the judges with his work at the Columbia Missourian, where he covers city government.

“Growing up as both biracial and queer, I never really got much chance to see myself reflected in entertainment media nor news media, both on the screen and behind the scenes,” Adissem wrote in his application essay. “On the rare occasion I did see some form of representation, it often leaned heavily on negative stereotypes.

“Through my work at The Columbia Missourian, I have actively tried to seek out voices and perspectives from communities that are overlooked and overshadowed, as their stories are just as worth telling as everyone else’s,” he wrote.

More here.