Wichita State University's Elliott School of Communication has announced the latest winner of the Victor Murdock journalism scholarship, Maize South High School senior Megan Looper.

Named for former Wichita Eagle editor-in-chief Victor Murdock, the Victor Murdock journalism scholarship is awarded by a committee of Elliott School faculty and previous Murdock scholarship recipients to one high school student each year who plans to study journalism at Wichita State. It is one of the Elliott School’s oldest and largest scholarships, dating back to 1973.

Competitors submit samples of their work in the application process, and are chosen on the basis of teacher recommendations, an on-campus interview, demonstrated writing ability and experience creating media, including video, websites and photos.

“Megan’s entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in helping establish a sports broadcasting program at Maize South made her stand out among a field of outstanding applicants,” said the chair of the awards and scholarship committee, Eric Wilson, outreach director at the Elliott School. “Her well rounded involvement, enthusiasm and journalism experience will serve her extremely well as a journalism student at Wichita State.”

The Victor Murdock Scholarship pays $1,250 per year for each of the four years the student remains in the journalism program at WSU.

Looper was born in Wichita, and is the oldest of three children. She is a member of the National Honor Society and works with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has been involved in journalism-related classes since middle school, and founded the Maverick Sports Network to broadcast athletic events at her high school. She plans to pursue a career in sports journalism.

“I feel extremely fortunate and humbled to have been giving this awesome opportunity to pursue an education at the Elliott School of Communication,” Looper said. “I look forward to furthering my knowledge in this quickly evolving field. I can't wait to get started, and am very excited about the many future opportunities.”