Alyssa Johnson

Alyssa Johnson of Sterling (Kan.) High School has won Wichita State University's Elliott School of Communication Victor Murdock Scholarship in Journalism for 2012.

Named for the former Wichita Eagle editor-in-chief Victor Murdock, the Murdock Scholarship provides $5,000 over four years toward the winner's journalism education.

Johnson is the daughter of Paul and Kim Hoffman. She has been a member of the Sterling High yearbook staff for four years, serving as assistant editor as a junior and as editor-in-chief as a senior. She works as a reporter and photojournalist for the Sterling Bulletin and the Lyons Daily News and has done design work for the Hutchinson News.

"I am thrilled to receive the Victor Murdock journalism scholarship," said Johnson. "It is an important step to building my future journalism career. What drew me to Wichita State University was the outstanding school of communication, and now I get to be part of something great. I cannot wait to represent WSU and work in all facets of media."

Johnson has several top-3 finishes in regional and state journalism for photography and design, and has won several national honors for yearbook photography and writing.

"Alyssa is an energetic young lady with big goals for a career in journalism," said Eric Wilson, Elliott School instructor and scholarship chair. "She is already a leader and an award-winning journalist at her high school, and we are excited to help her grow her abilities and experiences and to have her represent the Elliott School as a Murdock scholar for the next four years."

The Victor Murdock journalism scholarship is awarded by a committee of Elliott School faculty and previous Murdock scholarship recipients each year to one high school student who plans to study journalism.

Competitors submit applications and samples of their work, and finalists are invited to campus for interviews and a writing test.

It is one of the Elliott School's oldest and largest scholarships, dating back to 1973.