The Ennes Educational Foundation Trust has awarded five scholarships for 2022. The recipients were chosen from applications received by July 1, 2022, from the previous 12 months.
The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship, Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship, John H. Battison Founder’s Scholarship and Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship are awarded to individuals interested in continuing or beginning their education in broadcast engineering and technology. The Youth Scholarship is specifically for a graduating high school senior interested in broadcast engineering as a career. Each scholarship awarded this year is for $2,500.
This year the Harold E. Ennes Scholarship recipient is Michael Cassara, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a degree in computer engineering. He previously served as the leader of his high school’s student-run-and-operated television station, and has served as a student engineer on Pitt Studios productions for ESPN’s ACC Network for the last year. Having become familiar with software and hardware development during his studies for his major, he has gained an interest in developing applications to improve his time as a broadcast engineer, such as developing a remote-control and automation application for VTRs, and is currently working on a translation server to enable broadcast camera RCPs to control POV and PTZ camera systems from different manufacturers. Michael intends to pursue a career as a television broadcast engineer after graduating.
Receiving the Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship is Meredith Frank, a sophomore TV production & studies major at Hofstra University. In her freshman year, Meredith’s love for TV became a passion for all media. After joining the Marconi-winning campus radio station WRHU 88.7 FM, Meredith ended the year as the recipient of a Rookie of the Year award, and gained sports media experience producing and engineering the radio broadcasts for New York Islanders hockey. Her work with the Islanders includes engineering broadcasts airing over ESPN 98.7 FM, voicing packages, and reporting from the press box at UBS Arena. Sports media was a new adventure for Meredith, but she quickly learned that women are still working to earn a place in the industry. She was honored to be the lead producer for WRHU’s first all-female studio crew during the International Women’s Day Islanders broadcast. Meredith has also previously earned the SBE Youth Scholarship as a high school senior, and is a member of SBE New York Chapter 15.
The John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship has been awarded to Jade He, a member of SBE New York Chapter 15. She is a student at Hofstra University where she is a leader and manager for two student-run media organizations, the HEAT (Hofstra Entertainment Access Television) Network and 88.7 FM WRHU. Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Video/Television, she hopes to work as a video engineer or in production. She also works as an engineering assistant at Salem Media Group under chief engineer and SBE member Andy Gladding. Furthermore, as an Asian-American woman in media and engineering, she is passionate about uplifting other women and people of color and hopes to one day be a role model and to carve a path for those who will come after her.
The Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship has been awarded to Drew Hurst. Drew graduated from Jasper High School in Jasper, IN, in 2021 and is in his second year at Ball State University where he majors in media with a concentration in digital sports production. He has been a member of the Dean’s list for the past year at Ball State and has also been an SBE member for the last two. While focusing on studies at Ball State, he has freelanced as a utility and camera operator for Fox, CBS, and ESPN in Cincinnati and Indianapolis with events including Bengals home games, US Men’s National Soccer Team games, and the CFB National Championship. He has worked events on ESPN 3 and ESPN Plus at Ball State events as well as on MILB.tv with the Louisville Bats. He has three years remaining at Ball State and hopes to further his education in broadcasting.
Matthew Kucharczyk received the Youth Scholarship. In high school, Matthew was known for creating high-quality broadcasts (earning him the nickname Stream God), ranging from district basketball, to state-wide swimming competitions, to school events. He formed strong relationships with his peers and district staff to help him create these broadcasts, his peers putting similar effort into the productions to make them a success. Alongside working with the school district, he has experience in the professional world. He had the role of technical director in the NAIA basketball tournament in Kansas City. He has worked with local companies that help with corporate, entertainment, and live events in the Kansas City metro area. Matthew is currently studying mass media with an emphasis on film and video at Washburn University. He hopes to work in live event video engineering, striving to create an impact on the world around him.
SBE President Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO, said, “A cornerstone of the SBE is education. Webinars, books, the SBE Mentor Program, SBE Ennes Workshops and other efforts are all part of that. The SBE continues to encourage young people to pursue careers in broadcast and media technology, and the SBE looks forward to seeing these five individuals progress in their careers as they further their education goals with the assistance of the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust.”
