CINCINNATI, Ohio – Seeking to train the next generation of journalists, the Scripps Howard Foundation announced it has awarded $261,000 in undergraduate scholarships that will help pay for the academic preparation of 109 students for the 1997-98 school year.”The Scripps Howard Foundation has a proud legacy of advocating and supporting journalism education at every level,” said Judith G. Clabes, the foundation’s president and chief executive officer, “but never have I seen such an outstanding collection of bright and promising students seeking to hone their skills in this noble profession. The foundation is honored to support the 109 future journalists who have won scholarships, but I must say that narrowing the field to these deserving students was not easy.”The foundation awards scholarships to encourage full-time undergraduate students to prepare for careers in print and broadcast journalism. Recipients were chosen from more than 650 applicants. Successful candidates demonstrate scholastic achievement and the commitment to stay in the discipline after graduation.During the upcoming school year, foundation scholarship winners will study on 73 campuses, including the University of Missouri-Columbia (with 14 recipients), Ohio University (five recipients), the University of Texas at Austin (four recipients), and Syracuse University (four recipients).Individual scholarships range from $1,000 for freshman and sophomores to $3,000 for juniors and seniors. Women received 66 percent of the scholarships; minorities received 30 percent.The Lighthouse Scholarship – a two-year, $15,000 award – was presented this year to Jason J. Clayworth, who will be a junior at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. According to Clabes, the foundation was inspired by Clayworth’s personal background, dedication to the profession, and portfolio of polished text and photojournalism. Jason writes for Drake’s two on-campus magazines and is the photography editor of the university’s newspaper, the Times-Delphic.Dedicated to excellence in journalism, the Scripps Howard Foundation is a leader in industry efforts in journalism education and scholarships, literacy and First Amendment causes.