The eight recipients of the MBA Foundation 2026 scholarship pictured above.

Nathan Johnson, junior broadcasting journalism major, has received the MBA Foundation 2026 scholarship. Johnson was one of eight students to receive this scholarship. The MBA Foundation awarded $25,000 in scholarships.

“There was strong interest in our scholarship program this year,” said Chad Mahoney, president and CEO of the Missouri Broadcasters Association. “Selecting from the large pool of applicants wasn’t easy, but these eight recipients stood out as very impressive students. Not only are these students excelling in their classwork, many of them are involved with their campus stations or have part-time jobs at our MBA member stations. The future of Missouri broadcasting looks bright.”

The eight recipients will be recognized at the 2026 MBA Awards banquet on June 6 as an end to the two-day MBA Convention at Lake of the Ozarks.

According to the MBA Foundation, there are four major requirements to be eligible for this scholarship. First, applicants must be currently attending a Missouri college, university or accredited tech/trade school or be a graduating high school senior who has been admitted to a Missouri institution of higher learning. Further, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a broadcast/digital media or related curriculum, which provides training and expertise applicable to a broadcast/digital media operation. The applicant must be a full-time student for every semester the scholarship is awarded. Full-time status requires enrollment in at least 12 credit hours. Lastly, the applicant must have a GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent, which must be maintained for each semester of the scholarship.

Johnson spends many hours contributing to the College’s broadcasting groups, above and beyond the 15 hours doing video broadcasting for The Point, his campus workstation. He volunteers at The Lookout (KCOZ), where he hosts a radio show, providing live on-air sports commentary. Johnson also writes for the sports section in the student newspaper, The Outlook.

Johnson said, “Winning awards and scholarships from professionals who are unaffiliated with the College validates all the work I put into developing my journalistic voice.”

The work that Johnson does at C of O has prepared him for work beyond school. His workstation supervisor, Erin Hayes, professor of the practice of journalism and media studies, shared about what it means for Johnson to have received this scholarship.

"Nathan's summer-long internship with the Fund for American Studies in Washington, D.C. will connect him with newsmakers and professional journalists during his stay there, and the MBA scholarship will help cover the costs of living in our nation's capital for the summer,” Hayes said. “Nathan is serious about his work as a student journalist, and he is a valuable member of our campus newsroom workstation. I'm delighted for him and grateful to the MBA for recognizing Nathan's merit as a student journalist."

Hayes is a retired national news correspondent for the ABC News national network. Her career as a broadcast journalist spanned 34 years. She covered the 2000 presidential election decision, the nation’s response to the 9-11 disaster, the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion, and the Oklahoma City bombing.  Her awards for investigative reporting recognized her work covering gang crime, terrorism, aviation disasters, and government blunders, among other topics.

Hayes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at College of the Ozarks in 1979. She went on to work in newsrooms at KTHS Radio in Berryville, Arkansas, KYTV in Springfield, Missouri, WSMV-TV in Nashville, and WDAF-TV in Kansas City.  In 1989, she became a news correspondent for the CBS News national network.  In 1993, she became a national news correspondent for the ABC News network. She retired from ABC News in early 2013.

As a journalism professor, she works to encourage and guide young people of integrity to shine the light of truth in newsrooms across the nation.

About the MBA Foundation

The Missouri Broadcasters Association Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is the charitable and educational arm of the MBA. It helps ensure a strong future for the broadcasting/digital media profession.

The Foundation is focused on enhancing the future of Missouri broadcasting/digital media by providing scholarships for students and member services that offer continuing education for professionals.

The Missouri Broadcasters Association Foundation is supported by the philanthropy of our member stations, community members and organizations.

For additional information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.