Meet 2026 scholarship winner Nolan Page
Tiverton native and University of Maryland student Nolan Page says his first two semesters in college have helped him build foundational skills that he hopes to further develop with on-the-ground reporting experience as he grows as
a journalist.
The Rhode Island Press Association is proud to name Page, a former Top-10 student at Tiverton High School, as our scholarship winner for 2026.
The son of Charles and Margot Page says his time at the university’s Philip Merrill College of
Journalism has shown him the importance of local journalism, and this summer, he’s interning at the Rhode Island Current.
Last fall, he tried his hand at both broadcast and print journalism, becoming involved in student-led TV programming and The Diamondback independent student
newspaper.
Page, a journalism major, says he hopes to further improve his skills while abroad in Tanzania for a two-week summer program focused on international and environmental reporting, both of which he holds a special interest in.
The scholarship, says Page, will help make it possible for him to continue contributing to local journalism as he grows as a reporter.
His professor, Rob Wells, said Page is in the top tier of his demanding news reporting class.
“I have taught hundreds of students, and Mr. Page stands out for his seriousness and his emerging talent,” wrote Wells.
Meet Eliza White, 2025 RIPA scholarship winner
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.
In her speech, White smiled as she spoke about following in her family's legacy.
"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.