Arkansas Press Women (APW) has awarded its 2026 scholarship to Valeri Villegas, a journalism student at NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
Villegas, of Rogers, Arkansas, is a first-generation Latina American focused on reporting issues affecting underrepresented communities. She has contributed to The Eagle View, NWACC’s student newspaper, where she has covered topics impacting first-generation college students.
“Valeri has demonstrated a strong commitment to telling stories that elevate underrepresented voices,” said Debbie Miller, instructor of Journalism/Media and English at NWACC and advisor to The Eagle View. “Her work reflects both purpose and impact.”
For her capstone project, Villegas plans to produce a podcast interview with a member of the Hispanic community in Northwest Arkansas, examining how increased ICE activity is affecting families and daily life in the region.
“Being granted the privilege of pursuing a degree in journalism is not only a goal I aspire for myself, but I am especially driven to reach this goal for my parents,” Villegas said. “They were unable to complete their education but gave their all to their two daughters to explore opportunities they never had. This scholarship will help me give a voice to the voiceless.”
Villegas plans to use the scholarship toward her journalism degree at the University of Arkansas, where she will attend in the fall.
Founded in 1949, Arkansas Press Women is a professional organization for media and communications professionals, originally created to help women network and compete in a male-dominated newspaper industry. An affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, APW today supports a diverse membership of journalists, public information officers, and communication specialists with professional development, networking, and award opportunities