The National Press Club has chosen Santiago Campos of Washington, D.C., as the recipient of its 2026 Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship. The scholarship, which promotes diversity within the field of broadcast journalism, is awarded to an aspiring journalist and totals up to $20,000 over four years.
Campos is a senior at the District of Columbia International School, where he began studying video production and broadcast journalism in ninth grade. The judges were impressed by his powerful coverage of how U.S. immigration policies have impacted local communities.
“Mass deportation policies have created fear and instability for many people around me, including mixed-status families and even U.S. citizens,” Campos said in his application essay. “I turned to broadcast journalism to raise awareness about these realities and push back against misinformation and harmful stereotypes. … I’ve seen how even small stories can humanize complex political issues and help audiences better understand the people behind the headlines.”
Campos participated in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, where he produced a documentary-style piece that featured interviews with his relatives about their deportation stories. He was recognized as a PBS News Student Reporting Labs 20 Under 20 Up & Coming Storytellers.
Recommendation letters from his professors and advisors praised his talent for in-depth storytelling, dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices, and professionalism.
“Santiago worked with professional media producers from PBS News Student Reporting Labs to share the story of how multiple generations of his family were part of a government deportation effort in the 1950s of both documented and undocumented immigrants,” said Ashley Porter, video production and broadcast journalism teacher at DC International School.
“He remained conscious of potential bias and maintained the story’s objectivity. This can be a challenge for professional journalists to tackle — especially when the reporter is personally invested in the story. But Santiago kept this balance and his story was nationally broadcast on PBS NewsHour and published in Teen Vogue.”
The Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship provides $5,000 annually to a student who demonstrates a commitment to a career in broadcast journalism. The award can be renewed for up to three years.
Named in memory of the late Wes Vernon, a prolific radio journalist whose career included national political reporting from Washington, D.C., the scholarship intends to remove barriers for students from backgrounds underrepresented in broadcast journalism.
“Santiago has already demonstrated a high calibre of visual storytelling and journalistic rigor that many seasoned reporters aspire to,” said National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. “His ability to report on such a deeply personal and important subject as immigration with objectivity and compassion is a testament to his talent. We are pleased to support his continued studies in broadcast journalism.”
In addition to funding, scholarship winners are awarded one-year complimentary membership to the National Press Club. National Press Club scholarships are administered by its nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute. Support the Institute’s student-focused programming with a donation today.
For press inquiries or questions about the National Press Club scholarship programs, contact Holly Butcher Grant with the National Press Club Journalism Institute at [email protected].
About the Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes First Amendment values by equipping journalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide with the skills, knowledge, standards, resources and networks to empower and inform the public. The Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.
About the Club
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members from nearly every leading news organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.