This information was originally shared with EIU Media Relations by and should be attributed to WEIU.

CHARLESTON, IL (04/08/2026) The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce that two Eastern Illinois University broadcasting students have been selected to receive INBA Foundation scholarships.

The winners, who will be honored April 18 at the INBA’s Best of Broadcast Awards event in Champaign, were selected by a panel of INBA members who evaluated about 20 scholarship applications.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $12,000 in awards being handed out this year, the INBA has awarded 223 scholarships worth about $225,000.

Here are this year’s winners from EIU:

  • Olivia Bennett of Charleston is a junior at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. She has worked as a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland; a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming; and managing editor, anchor and reporter for WEIU-TV News Watch. With this year’s award, Benett is now a three-time INBA scholarship winner. She will be taking home INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.
  • Andrew Spaid of Lake in the Hills will graduate this spring from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in TV and video production. He has worked as a sports and news anchor, producer and sports director for WEIU-TV and was an on-air DJ for Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU. He also is a host and producer of the Anytime Sports Podcast, worked on the live sports production crew for ESPN+ and was a freelance camera operator for WQAD-TV. Andrew is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don Brown is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

In addition to their scholarship awards, each of the winners is receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to the Best of Broadcast Awards event.

One other student from EIU was named a finalist for scholarship awards and will get a free ticket to the awards event. The finalist was Matthew Williamson of LeRoy.

The Scholarship Selection Committee included:

  • Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
  • Jenna Dooley, news director, WNIJ in DeKalb, and INBA past president
  • Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA past president
  • Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and former INBA vice president

##

Eastern Illinois University empowers students to achieve their goals through high quality academics, meaningful personal connections, and flexible learning options on campus and online. To learn more about EIU, including its wide range of academic programs, career preparation opportunities, and community engagement, visit eiu.edu or contact the EIU Public Information Office at 217-581-7400.