Hannah Smith Receives New York Women in Communications Award
Smith is the first URochester scholar to receive the honor
Hannah Smith ’27 has been named a 2026 New York Women in Communications Scholarship recipient.
Smith is the first University of Rochester scholar to receive the award from New York Women in Communications, an organization for female communications professionals. NYWICI honored Smith and other scholarship recipients at its 56th Annual Matrix Awards held on May 19 in Manhattan.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be recognized as a 2026 New York Women in Communications Scholarship recipient,” says Smith, an English major on the Language, Media, and Communications track. “It means a lot to be recognized by such an inspiring organization.”
“This award will help me pursue my dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and support.”
Juliet Sullivan, a fellowship advisor in the Student Fellowships Office who advised Smith on her application development, describes Smith as a talented writer and a highly ethical journalist-in-training.
“Hannah is coming of age at a pivotal time for communications—a time when social media is expanding, print journalism is declining, and trust in news media is at a new low,” adds Sullivan.
Originally from Northern Virginia and now based in Easthampton, Mass., Smith is features editor for the Campus Times. She has worked with University Marketing and Communications since 2026 as a student content creator and social media strategist, as well as an Admissions Office vlogger since 2024. Smith also interned with WXXI Public Broadcasting in Spring 2025 and News 8 WROC (CBS) in Spring 2026, and studied abroad in Berlin, Germany through the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures in 2024.
“With her selection for this competitive, career-launching fellowship program, Hannah Smith is blazing a trail for other URochester students with a passion for journalism, media studies, and digital communications,” says Belinda Redden, director of the Student Fellowships Office.
“I am hopeful that being able to point to Hannah and her success will inspire others with similar interests and aspirations to see themselves as potential candidates, and we stand ready to support them in their pursuit of this opportunity.”