The National Press Club has chosen Sabrina Lam of Manchester, Connecticut, as the recipient of its 2026 Lewis Scholarship. The award provides housing and a $4,000 stipend to support a student journalist of color interning at a news media outlet in Washington, D.C.
Lam will intern with POLITICO Magazine, writing long-form digital stories exploring disruptions in national politics, policy, and power, after graduating from Emerson College this month.
“In every newsroom I’ve entered, I have worked not only to be a diligent and tenacious journalist, but also one that is dedicated to initiating conversations of inclusion and representation in editorial discussions and pitching coverage of communities who are often overlooked and rarely have the resources or platform to tell their own stories,” Lam said in her application essay.
The judges were impressed by Lam’s exceptional work with Emerson’s student media and during internships at POLITICO, NBC LA, and The Boston Globe, where she covered a wide range of topics including breaking news, immigration policy, food insecurity, housing inequity, and social justice.
“For my family — a generation of Vietnamese immigrants — and for the communities who have had to fight similar battles, I dedicate my work to uplifting their voices, especially when the world has too often let them believe their stories are unimportant,” Lam said.
Through her college years, Lam served as co-president of the Asian American Journalists Association Emerson Chapter, advocating for greater inclusion of Asian Americans in newsrooms.
“Sabrina has demonstrated a deep passion for news reporting, especially on marginalized communities,” wrote Cindy E. Rodríguez, senior journalist-in-residence at Emerson College, in a letter of recommendation. “She has shown tenacity in understanding the systems of oppression and the ability to humanize those issues with strong narratives and data reporting.”
Other letters of recommendation from professors and supervisors praised Lam’s extraordinary work ethic and ability to tackle and distill complex topics for general audiences.
“Sabrina regularly pitches ambitious, well-researched story ideas that demonstrate both creativity and a strong news instinct — this story on Iran’s use of viral AI-generated videos during wartime being one of them,” said Catherine Kim, an assistant editor at POLITICO Magazine. “I’ve been greatly impressed by her proactiveness and creativity, both qualities that are essential to the success of any young journalist.”
The Lewis Scholarship was established in 2022 by the family of former Washington correspondent Robert “Bob” D.G. Lewis. It is awarded annually during the summer. Students must secure a journalism internship in Washington, D.C., to be eligible, along with other requirements.
“Sabrina’s track record speaks for itself. From her successes at Emerson’s student newsrooms and in top-notch, national outlets, she has shown the kind of drive, curiosity, and journalistic instincts that this profession needs,” said National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. “We congratulate Sabrina on all her achievements and look forward to seeing her at the Club this summer.”
The Lewis Scholarship program furthers Bob and Jacqueline Lewis’s work to improve accessibility to experiential learning opportunities in the nation’s capital for students of color. The program extends the Lewis’ commitment to increasing representation in Washington, D.C., to include news media, adding to their work founding and operating the Washington Intern Student Housing program and the HBCU National Center.
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.