Four scholarships will be given out during the WBA Student Seminar on March 6 to students studying broadcasting in Wisconsin. Learn more about the WBA Student Scholarship program and apply here. Interested in supporting the scholarship program? Learn more here.

The recipients are:

Reagan Zimmerman

Reagan Zimmerman is the 2021 WBA Foundation Scholarship recipient.                 

Reagan is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is majoring in Journalism, Reporting, and Strategic Communication. Reagan is planning to graduate in the spring of 2021.

Reagan’s career goal is to be a combat journalist alongside the military overseas. Her passion is to work closely with the military to highlight important stories no one else is telling.

Reagan has worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer on “The Badger Report” student newscast and was a Civilian Public Affairs Specialist for UW ROTC Badger Battalion and U.S. Army Cadet Command.

She was also an intern at NBC 15 (WMTV-TV) in Madison where she worked alongside anchor, multimedia journalists, and producers. She was a journalist for The Green Laker, and also supported ESPN and ABC as a sideline utility worker at Badger and Packer football games.

Reagan’s work is described as professional, well-organized, on point, and timely. She’s demonstrated versatility, a strong understanding of the field, and a willingness to get involved.

Tamia Fowlkes

Tamia Fowlkes the 2021 Morgan Murphy Media Scholarship recipient.                 

Tamia is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is majoring in Journalism and Political Science. Tamia is planning to graduate in the spring of 2022.

Tamia wants to pursue a career in broadcast or digital journalism that allows her to inform and address the issues of people from all different backgrounds, empowering and enabling them to further pursue their endeavors.

Tamia is involved in numerous groups on campus and already has a lot of media experience. She’s been an intern at the Wisconsin State Journal, earned an NBC Fellowship, was the CNN-NewsCo Temporary Development Coordinator, produces the “Pod-Cast Your Vote” podcast, and has written for Madison Commons, Madison365, among others.

Tamia is described by one professor as one the best undergraduates he has worked with in the last decade. He calls her a born leader with professional maturity beyond her years. Another professor says Tamia brings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does.

Sydney Trupp

Sydney Trupp is the 2021 David L. Nelson Scholarship recipient.                 

Sydney is attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She is majoring in English with a creative writing emphasis and a minor in Marketing. Sydney is planning to graduate in the spring of 2021.

Sydney’s career goal is to work for a marketing firm or advertising agency as a copywriter or in the creative department. She has an interest in digital marketing and has pursued and earned numerous certifications in the field.

Sydney was nominated and accepted into The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS, Sigma Alpha Pi), which is strictly awarded to a small portion of UW-Whitewater students. She’s also enthusiastically involved in numerous extra-curricular activities.

Sydney is described as having unmatched creativity and passion in marketing, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic. She’s always willing to come up with the best content.

Kingsley-Reigne Pissang

Kingsley-Reigne Pissang is the 2021 Howard Gernetzke Scholarship recipient.                 

Kingsley is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is majoring in Strategic Communications and Reporting and African-American studies with a minor in Leadership. She is planning to graduate in the spring of 2021.

Kingsley’s career goal is to own her own crisis management agency. She plans to attend graduate school for public relations in Washington D.C. where she also hopes to build her experience and network in her path to reach her goal.

Among her many roles on campus, Kingsley is President of the Student Inclusion Coalition where she received national media attention for a video she created, produced, casted, and voiced promoting diversity and inclusion on campus.

Kingsley is also one of the leading journalists for The Black Voice, which is the only UW newspaper directly serving the African-American community. She’s also served as President of the UW Black Student Union and co-chair of the UW’s Black History Month committee.

Kingsley is described as an outstanding student with skills as a leader, writer, and designer. She has an upbeat and infectious desire to give good to the world and spread her enthusiasm to others.

An educator, entrepreneur, trailblazer, and WBA Hall of Fame inductee, Nancy Zieman hosted Sewing With Nancy on public television stations for more than 30 years. Now, an all-new documentary tells the story of Nancy’s life through her own words and the reflections of those she inspired across a lifetime of education, family and faith. 

Nancy Zieman: Extraordinary Grace premieres 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23 on PBS Wisconsin.  

Zieman was host of Sewing With Nancy, the longest-running television sewing program, produced in the PBS Wisconsin studios and broadcast on public television stations across the country for more than three decades.  

Humble and quiet by nature, Zieman provided creative inspiration to her dedicated viewers for decades. An entrepreneur who founded Nancy’s Notions — an international mail order company based in Beaver Dam that started at her kitchen table — Zieman also helped develop The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show with PBS Wisconsin, a vibrant example of her inspiration to others, bringing together people from across the United States to celebrate the art and craft of quilting. 

Zieman’s life was also marked by several personal and physical challenges, some of which she bravely shared with her fans. When she died in 2017, the outpouring of gratitude proved her to be a public television icon, who earned an immense and loyal following because of her steady and inspired work on public television. 

“Because PBS Wisconsin had such a longstanding and important relationship with Nancy, after she passed in 2017, we knew we wanted to do something to not just honor her but bring her story to the public,” said Laurie Gorman, executive producer of the documentary and longtime producer of Sewing With Nancy. “A lot of people knew her as Sewing With Nancy, and that’s very important, but a lot of people didn’t know about the story behind how that show was created, how Nancy found her calling, the challenges she faced multiple times throughout her life. It’s a story about somebody who overcame a lot of challenges in her life and still was able to find success and artistic expression as well.” 

The resulting film is a visual treasure trove of never-before-seen moments from Zieman’s life, from her diagnosis with Bell’s palsy, a rare facial paralysis, as a toddler to the early days of her sewing career to the stops and starts that led her to host Sewing With Nancy. 

Featuring archival first-person recordings of Zieman, video from 30 years of Sewing With Nancy, and interviews with Zieman’s family, friends and colleagues, the new documentary tells the story of an inspirational life marked by extraordinary grace. 

“I’m overwhelmed and humbled by the reaction to the podcasts,” Barry said. “I have especially enjoyed the stories and comments listeners have shared. Many had interesting personal memories of my guests.”

Upcoming episodes will feature Dickie Goodman, Alan Alda, Henry Mancini, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Mathis, and Mel Blanc.

“The Bob Barry Unearthed Interviews podcast is a hidden gem,” said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. “Each episode is a captivating time capsule that young and old will both appreciate. Bob’s got great questions for his guests and has interesting stories to tell about each interview. I’m looking forward to many more episodes.”

WBA member stations are welcome to download and air episodes as they become available, with credit given to the podcast.