VNPA Scholarship
Melanie Blanding is the winner of the 2004-2005 VNPA scholarship. Blanding is a Sophomore at Western Kentucky University and is from the Roanoke. She is majoring in photojournalism, minoring in cultural anthropology, and is expecting to graduate in spring of 2006. She did a summer internship in 2003 with the United States Army, shooting for their newspaper and yearbook, and also did a job shadow with the Cox Washington Bureau in the summers of 2001-2002. She was one of five applicants for this year's scholarship.

The George Smith Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Virginia News Photographers Association, awards $1,000 to any student showing the best promise in the field of photojournalism.

Eligibility Requirements

  • A current student in the state of Virginia
  • A Virginian attending school out of state
  • Any student who has completed an internship for a Virginia newspaper that is a member of the VNPA

Deadline for Application 2005

  • Applicants must submit either a cd-rom presentation or slide portfolio containing a minimum of 20 images and a completed George Smith Scholarship Application by March 1, 2005. Mail your portfolio and application to:
Vicki Cronis, Scholarship Chair
The Virginian-Pilot
Photo Department
150 W. Brambleton Ave.
Norfolk, Va. 23510

You may contact Vicki at 757-446-2390 or email her at vicki.cronis@pilotonline.com

VNPA webmaster josh.meltzer@roanoke.com