Boonville High School senior Alyssa Fitzgerald received the Rural Missouri Newspaper Scholarship, a total of up to $40,000 throughout eight semesters.

District administrators say, at BHS, Fitzgerald is a member of the Pirate Press, the school’s newspaper team. She plays tennis, is a member of Future Business Leaders of America and also is an A+ tutor.

The Missouri Press Foundation reported: Fitzgerald wrote in her application letter that she makes it a priority to stay up to date on current events, and that mixed with a love for writing led her to pursue a career in journalism and study at the Missouri School of Journalism.

“I want to make an impact on people similar to the impact the news had on me,” Fitzgerald wrote. “Getting accepted into the University of Missouri is an accomplishment in itself but being able to pursue what I love while also helping out in a rural town, similar to the one I live in now, would make my experience even better.”

Photo courtesy Boonville R-1 School District