The ACES Education Fund continues its mission to support the next generation of editors. In the spring we welcomed two new Board members: Nick Jungman as treasurer and Ellen Kuwana as an at-large member.
Late in the year we had some sad news: Bill Connolly, one of the original members of ACES and a founder and past president of the ACES Education Fund, passed away. His generosity and dedication to the support of editing and editors were unrivaled, and his quick wit and welcoming spirit made him a beloved part of ACES. The ACES Education Fund was lucky to have Bill as a part of it for so long, and we’ll miss him.
The ACES Education Fund’s main focus is raising money for scholarships and fellowships. ACES Scholarships support students aspiring to a career in editing, and the Holden Diversity Fellowships support early- and mid-career editors in professional development. Six college students and four professional fellows received awards in 2023.
The 2022-23 ACES Scholars
The 2022-23 ACES Scholars were:
The Aubespin Scholar was Nuha Dolby of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Aubespin Scholarship, a $2,500 award, honors Merv Aubespin, an early proponent of ACES.
Learn more about the 2022-23 ACES Scholars.
The Walsh Scholar was Jordan Thornsberry of the University of Missouri. The Bill Walsh Scholarship, a $3,500 award, is named for the late Washington Post copy editor, author, and member of the ACES Education Fund Board of Directors, and is awarded to a college student who aspires to edit the news.
Learn more about the 2022-23 Walsh Scholar.
ACES Education Fund Board members Alex Cruden and Maisha Maurant coordinated the scholarship competitions.
The judges for the Walsh Scholarship were Bill’s wife, Jacqueline Dupree, whose generosity established the award in 2017, as well as ACES Board secretary Mark Allen, Carrie Camillo, and Bill’s brothers, Kenneth Walsh and Terence Walsh.
Longtime ACES volunteers Lindsay Augustyn and Carol Carpenter were joined by Maiya Hayes, previous Holden Fellow DeAndre Lipscomb, and ACES Board member Constance Brossa to judge the Aubespin and ACES scholarship competitions.
Holden Diversity Fellowship
Four fellows make up the fourth cohort of the Holden Diversity Fellowship:
The Holden Fellowship program, begun in 2020, is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion by advancing early- and mid-career professionals in their work as editors and aspiring industry leaders. The fellowship recognizes the work of the late Rich Holden, who championed diversity in editing as the longtime managing director for the Dow Jones News Fund.
Our thanks to this year’s judges, Lindsey O’Donnell-Welch, Edgar Ramirez, and Paula Fuchsberg, ACES Education Fund Board member.
Learn more about the 2023 Holden Fellows.
Giving opportunities
As of Dec. 15, the fund has raised nearly $15,000 in 2023. The ACES Education Fund thanks all of its donors for their continuing generosity and support of the scholarships and fellowships, through donations with membership renewals, at the conference through the Spelling Bee and Silent Auction, on #GivingTuesday, and more.
Andy Hollandbeck, Saturday Evening Post Society copy editor and senior managing editor, won the 10th annual ACES Education Fund Spelling Bee in Columbus, which Board member Merrill Perlman again organized. The Scripps National Spelling Bee provided the word lists. Lingofy returned as the Bee’s presenting sponsor, generously providing Apple electronics as prizes.
ACES 2024 San Diego conference attendees can register to attend or compete in the Spelling Bee when they register for the conference; we have a lovely outdoor venue at our San Diego hotel! We are also planning a Silent Auction for the San Diego conference.
Learn more:
2023 Year-End Summary from Gigi Sutton, ACES Executive Director
