The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Pacific Islander Task Force are pleased to announce the third annual recipients of the IJA-AAJA Pacific Islander Journalism Scholarship.
RECIPIENTS: Mele Fangu and Jasmine Stole Weiss
Mele Fangu (she/her) is a Pacific Islander sports journalist of Tongan descent based in Utah. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University-Provo where she majored in Journalism and Sports Media. Fangu has worked as a broadcast production intern for the Utah Jazz, and covered cross-country sports and the Paris Olympics for The Daily Universe, BYU’s college newspaper. She loves telling stories about perseverance and the triumph of underdogs and is passionate about telling often-overlooked stories about women and Pacific Islanders in sports.
Jasmine Stole Weiss (she/her/hers) is a Palauan-Pohnpeian freelance journalist and editor in Guåhan. She cut her teeth working as a reporter for the Marianas Variety-Guam, The Guam Daily Post and the Pacific Daily News in Guåhan before trading the newsroom for her living room to pursue freelance writing. In 2021, she launched The Husk, a newsletter in which she profiles Micronesian creators and professionals and shares articles about the Pacific islands, with a heavy focus on Micronesia. Currently, she is working as a copy editor for The Guam Daily Post in addition to working as a freelance writer and editor.
Learn more about Jasmine here: IG
Each recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their journalism careers. The money can be used for tuition, student loans, or other journalism professional development activities and training.
The IJA-AAJA Pacific Islander Journalism Scholarship was launched in 2022 with support from The Omidyar Group and is administered by the Indigenous Journalists Association, in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association’s Pacific Islander Task Force as part of the group’s commitment to supporting Pacific Islanders in journalism.
Funding is intended to help Indigenous peoples of the Pacific, including Polynesians, Micronesians and Melanesians, pursue careers in journalism, especially in the U.S. and U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands. The goal is to improve Oceania representation and storytelling in the news media industry.
To support the journalism fund, or learn about how to apply in 2025, contact IJA Education Manager Sheena Roetman at sroetman@naja.com.
The Indigenous Journalists Association is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
About AAJA’s Scholarships
AAJA annually offers financial support to journalism students through scholarships and internship grants to help offset the costs of education, internships, living expenses and other professional development opportunities. These scholarships are made possible by supporters such as AAJA members, allies and generous donors. Learn more here.
