The Department of Communication is pleased to announce the inaugural recipient of the Community Health Education and Retention Scholarship (CHEARS). This year’s scholarship was awarded to Matthew Wilkin, a COMM major who works with student organizations like Love Your Melon, which helps children battle cancer, and the student veteran organization that seeks to help active military personnel transition into college. An annual scholarship made by an anonymous alumni donor who wanted to keep promising students in the classroom while they continue to learn and support the community around them, CHEARS is intended for an undergraduate student with an interest in health, broadly construed, and includes a stipend for faculty mentorship of the recipient. The donor credits the COMM Department with helping them realize their full potential while keeping in mind the broader context of privilege and educational disparities. The nominator of this year’s recipient, Yvette Bueno Olson, will also receive modest funding to support her individualized mentorship of her nominee.