NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES
Central Great Lakes Chapter
Scholarships
Central Great Lakes Chapter Scholarships
The Central Great Lakes Chapter of NATAS offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors, and to college juniors or seniors attending schools within the Central Great Lakes Chapter region including: Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Lima Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Indianapolis, Bloomington and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Students must plan to attend or currently attend a four-year college to pursue a career in the television industry.
Recipients will be honored during the 57th Annual NATAS Central Great Lakes Chapter Regional Emmy® Awards ceremony on June 27, 2026 at the Hotel Cleveland in Cleveland, OH.
How to Apply
The deadline to apply is May 9, 2025. The application process is the same for all scholarships. Applications will be screened by our scholarship committee, and finalists will be notified by mail. In May, finalists will be invited to an interview by members of the NATAS Central Great Lakes Chapter scholarship selection committee.
If you have questions, you can contact Education Committee Co-Chairs Jasmine Crighton at jcright@bgsu.edu or Dr. Phil Hoffman at philhoffman@bsu.edu.
Please note: Do not sent physical media of any of your productions. We do not accept DVDs, tapes, etc., however you are welcome to include a URL.
Chloe Bass
2025 Central Great Lakes Scholarship Recipient
Chloe Bass is a recent graduate of Noblesville High School with plans to pursue journalism at Indiana University Bloomington this fall. Her interest in media began through classes in mass media and student broadcasting, where she learned about the importance journalism has on the world. Chloe has balanced academic excellence—maintaining a 4.0 GPA—with community involvement and work experience. She plays violin in the school orchestra and volunteers through the Leo Club, assisting with events that serve children and individuals facing housing insecurity. Chloe’s faculty recommendations note she’s a person who models a good work ethic and inspires others to work hard. The Central Great Lakes scholarship committee also noted Chloe’s dedication to community-minded storytelling, and her passion for work on both sides of the camera.
Henry Kopack
2025 Central Great Lakes Scholarship Recipient
Henry “Hank” Kopack is a recent graduate of Delphos St. John’s High School and plans on attending Butler University to major in sports media. He developed a passion for media through his interest in sports broadcasting from an early age and has spent time in high school involved in student media clubs creating sports content. At St. John’s, Hank maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving as class president for three years. In his senior year he was the first student at his school to complete an internship at WDOH-FM, where he was given the opportunity to do on-air broadcasts and eventually call a girls’ basketball regional semi-final game for the station. The Central Great Lakes scholarship committee noted Henry’s commitment to sports broadcasting and highlighted his well-rounded communication abilities. His dream job is to perform play-by-play for professional sports in Indianapolis.
Jonas Walker
2025 Central Great Lakes Scholarship Recipient
Jonas Walker Jr. is a recent graduate of Ben Davis High School and plans on attending Ball State University to study communications and join the NewsLink program. Jonas has wanted to work in broadcast journalism from a young age because he grew up watching the local news in Indianapolis. During his time at Ben Davis, Jonas gained hands on experience through programs like Wish-TV’s Multicultural Media Producing Program and the 300 Cameras for 300 Kids initiative, where he was named top student in his cohort. In May 2025 he and two classmates won first place for multimedia news reporting by a team from Youth Journalism International. The Central Great Lakes scholarship committee noted Jonas’ potential as a future leader in our field. He’s already launched his own business - J2 Media - where he performs as a freelance videographer and photographer for clients. His goal is to start a production studio that supports music, video and photography.