Some people wonder why total strangers would give them money to go to college.  The Valley Press Club Scholarships may help you understand that a little better. 

Almost 50 years ago, the Valley Press Club gave their first scholarship to a budding journalist named Al Jaffe.  Over time he became the vice president of ESPN and this year he is funding one of Valley Press Club’s scholarships. 

Each year the Valley Press Club awards five scholarships of $1,000 to high school students, planning a career in journalism, that live in Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.  Some of the scholarships offered by the Club include:
 

• Two Valley Press Club Scholarships
• The Republican Scholarship, funded by The Republican newspaper and administered by the club, is for students within the newspaper's circulation area who are planning careers in print journalism.
• The Channel 22 Scholarship, funded by WWLP-TV and administered by the club, is for students planning careers in broadcast journalism.
• The Edward J. Malley Jr. Memorial Scholarship, established in memory of the former chief photographer for the Springfield Newspapers, for students planning careers in photojournalism.

The best candidates will show an interest in the field of journalism, strong writing ability, scholastic aptitude and overall  achievement as measured by an applicant's high school transcript, class rank, academic awards, SAT scores, and extracurricular activities.

You can contact the Valley Press Club for an application. The deadline is April 1.