Anna Pan and Camisha Brown, Vijaya L. Balaji Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of AAJA-Philadelphia’s scholarship, the Vijaya L. Balaji Scholarship — Anna Pan, a University of Pennsylvania junior, and Camisha D. Brown, a Penn State freshman.

In the scholarship’s inaugural year, the AAJA-Philly board and scholarship donor, Murali Balaji, decided to award the scholarship to two students because we had two strong leading candidates.

Anna, who is an AAJA-Philly member, has interned at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia City Paper. She has also worked at the Daily Pennsylvanian. She is currently interning at WHYY. Anna, a junior at University of Pennsylvania, says, “I can’t wait to pursue a career in journalism and I’m so grateful for this award!”

Camisha, who was raised in Northeast Philadelphia, graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. She has also interned at WHYY. She would like to become a news anchor and talk-show host. Camisha, a Penn State freshman, says, “I am very appreciative to have won this scholarship. This is a great start to an immense career path.”

This scholarship was made possible by AAJA-Philly member and former chapter president Murali Balaji in honor of his mother, who was a committed supporter of the chapter and who believed in the education of minority journalists.