The 2025 Rhode Island Press Association scholarship winner is Eliza White, of Bristol, a senior at Mt. Hope High School who will further her education at the University of Rhode Island as a journalism major in the Harrington School.

 

At URI, she says she hopes to pursue her interest in broadcast journalism, but she's also interested in writing for The Good 5 Cent Cigar, URI's student newspaper. In her time at Mt. Hope, she was honored to be selected for Rhode Island's Civic Leadership Liaison program, where she was able to learn about multiple layers of the civic process and political journalism.

 

White is the daughter of Melissa and Tim White.

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In her speech, White smiled as she spoke about following in her family's legacy.

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"This has definitely become a family business, no matter how many times my dad has tried to dissuade me from going into this, it’s just been wonderful to grow up around journalism my whole life," she said.

 

She then thanked the press association for the award and for organizing Rhode Island High School Journalism Day in the spring, which she participated in. She also thanked her parents for supporting her in everything she does, saying she's so blessed to have grown up in a household with them.

 

"And thank you to journalism," she concluded.
 

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