The Pensacola Beacon is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the Beacon Scholarship Fund. Three students from the Pensacola area have been selected to receive full-tuition scholarships to study journalism, media, and communications at Florida universities.

The Recipients

Destiny Williams, 18, Pensacola High School will attend the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications this fall. Destiny has been the editor of her school newspaper for two years and produced a documentary about the history of Juneteenth celebrations in Escambia County that aired on the local PBS affiliate.

"Storytelling is how we keep our history alive," Destiny says. "I want to make sure the stories of Black Pensacola reach people everywhere, not just the people who already know them."

Jordan Mitchell, 19, Pine Forest High School will study Digital Media Production at Florida A&M University. Jordan runs a YouTube channel with over 15,000 subscribers where he documents Black culture across the Gulf Coast, from food traditions to oral histories.

Kiara Brooks, 20, Pensacola State College will transfer to Florida State University to study Media and Communication Studies. Kiara has been working as a reporter for the Pensacola State student newspaper while raising her daughter, and her coverage of housing access in Black neighborhoods won a state college journalism award.

About the Fund

The Beacon Scholarship Fund is central to The Pensacola Beacon's mission. Revenue from every issue, sponsorship, and membership goes directly into funding scholarships for students committed to Black storytelling and media creation.

"These three students represent exactly what The Beacon is about," says the editorial board. "They are already doing the work of telling our stories. We're just making sure they can keep doing it without the weight of financial barriers."

Applications for the 2027 Beacon Scholarship will open in January. Details will be published on The Pensacola Beacon website and in upcoming issues.