White House Historical Association’s Annual Hugh S. Sidey Scholarship Award Recipient Announced

Jan 17, 2023 Washington, D.C. —

The White House Historical Association in partnership with Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the White House Correspondents’ Association, have awarded student Anna Olson with the Hugh S. Sidey Scholarship in Print Journalism.

Olson will receive a $5,000 stipend to visit Washington, D.C. and attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner, an event held to raise money for WHCA scholarships and honor the professional recipients of the WHCA's journalism awards. Olson will also be matched with volunteer mentors from the White House Press Corps and have an opportunity to meet journalists and tour newsrooms while in Washington, D.C.

The Hugh S. Sidey Scholarship in Print Journalism at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication was established in 2006 at Sidey’s alma mater, Iowa State University, by way of the White House Historical Association. The award supports aspiring print journalists at the Greenlee School who exhibit extraordinary understanding of the responsibilities of covering the chief executive and the core principle of social responsibility that resides with print journalists. The scholarship was made possible through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein.

"Receiving the Hugh S. Sidey scholarship is a tremendous honor," said Olson. "I'm excited to learn from distinguished journalists and professionals in the field as I strive to succeed in political communication. I believe this opportunity will bring me one step closer to emulating the level of journalism Sidey achieved."

“It is a joy to have Anna Olson as our 2023 Sidey Scholar,” said Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association. “It is wonderful to collaborate with the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, along with the White House Correspondents’ Association to honor the late Hugh Sidey by welcoming yet another bright journalism student to Washington D.C. this spring.”

Anna Olson is a senior at Iowa State University majoring in journalism and political science. Anna has been heavily involved on the ISU campus serving in various roles with Student Government, Women in Pre-Law Club, First Amendment Club, Honors Program, and the Iowa State Daily. Along with leadership roles, she works as a supervisor for ISU Rec Services, a front desk associate for Greenlee School of Journalism, and was featured as an ambassador for her college on Amazon Prime’s series, The College Tour.

Olson’s professional experience includes interning for the nonprofit IRIS (Iowa Resource for International Service), Fiedler Law Firm, the Iowa Attorney General, the Iowa House of Representatives, and the office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. In her free time, Anna has volunteered with the Iowa ACLU to raise awareness of upcoming constitutional amendments, volunteered at a local food pantry, and served as a head of marketing for a start-up nonprofit, Mentoring for Change. Anna plans to attend law school in the fall to expand her knowledge of the law, journalism, and politics.

Previous recipients have visited attended a White House press briefing, and toured media outlets such as POLITICO, The Washington Post, and McClatchy News Service.

Learn more about the Hugh S. Sidey scholarship here.

Read this year's winning essay.