The Maine Press Association is proud to announce it has awarded three $2,500 scholarships to help college students in Maine further their pursuit of a career in journalism.
The 2026 recipients include Makayla Morello (University of Southern Maine), Peyton Perkins (University of Maine), and Tyler Bridges (University of Maine).
Morello, a staff writer for the University of Southern Maine’s Free Press, is a Westbrook native who seeks to develop her skills as a writer focusing on thoughtful, in-depth storytelling. Perkins, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is a copy editor at the University of Maine’s Maine Campus who enjoys investigative journalism. Bridges, from Calais, is the Head Photographer for The Maine Campus and is interested in a career in multimedia storytelling and documentary.
“This year’s MPA scholarship recipients showed a strong commitment to journalism, both as journalists informing their university communities and as aspiring career journalists,” said MPA Scholarship Committee Chair Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm. “They are a credit to the next generation of journalists.”
The annual scholarships are possible thanks to the generosity of participants in the Maine Press Association’s conference auction each October and the patrons who donate the auction items. For more information on donating items to the upcoming auction to support next year’s scholarships, please contact MPA scholarship committee member George Harvey at gro.r1773062523otino1773062523menia1773062523meht@1773062523egroe1773062523g1773062523.
Established in 1864, the Maine Press Association works to promote ethical journalism, to advocate for the interests of the journalists and organizations that constitute its membership, and to protect the freedom of the press and the public’s right to know.