Matthew Bovee Announces the 2026 Redhorse Scholarship Winners at Camp La Junta

After months of reading applications, reviewing writing samples, and deliberating with the selection committee, I’m thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2026 Thomas Redhorse Memorial Scholarship at Camp La Junta. This scholarship, which I established in honor of my mentor and friend Tommy Redhorse, continues to be one of the most meaningful things I do each year. It represents a direct investment in the next generation of journalists — people who will carry forward the values Tommy embodied: integrity, curiosity, and an unflinching commitment to the truth.

This year’s pool of applicants was extraordinary. We received submissions from students across Nebraska, Texas, and beyond — young writers and reporters already demonstrating the instincts that define great investigative work. Choosing just a handful was genuinely difficult. But the three finalists below rose to the top not because their stories were perfect, but because they showed something harder to teach: the willingness to look at a complicated situation and ask the questions everyone else is afraid to ask.

Meet the 2026 Thomas Redhorse Memorial Scholarship Winners

Maya Castillo — San Antonio, Texas

Maya’s application essay focused on the water rights conflicts she grew up watching along the Rio Grande. She described sitting in community meetings as a teenager, listening to adults argue about aquifer depletion, and feeling frustrated that no one seemed willing to dig into the numbers behind the claims. So she did it herself. With guidance from a high school civics teacher, Maya built a spreadsheet tracking reported versus actual water usage across three county districts — work that eventually caught the attention of a regional newspaper.

What struck the committee most about Maya wasn’t the data itself, but her instinct to verify. She called the county clerk’s office four times before someone finally sent her the publicly available report she needed. That persistence — that refusal to take “no” for an answer when the public has a right to know — is exactly the quality Tommy Redhorse brought to every investigation he touched. Maya will attend Camp La Junta’s summer program and receive a $2,000 equipment stipend to support her continued reporting.

Jordan Okafor — Omaha, Nebraska

Jordan submitted a portfolio of work that already spans investigative features, opinion essays, and podcast scripts — a remarkably varied body of work for a college sophomore. His standout piece documented the financial relationships between a nonprofit housing agency and a development company that had been quietly reshaping neighborhoods on Omaha’s north side. Jordan traced the money through property records, board meeting minutes, and interviews with residents who’d been displaced.

What’s remarkable about Jordan is his sense of narrative. He understands that investigative journalism isn’t just about uncovering facts — it’s about presenting those facts in a way that makes people care. His writing is clear, rigorous, and deeply human. At Camp La Junta, Jordan will have the chance to sharpen his skills alongside fellow journalism students and mentors who share his commitment to accountability reporting. He’s also the recipient of this year’s mentorship pairing with a veteran investigative reporter from the Midwest.

Priya Venkataraman — Lincoln, Nebraska

Priya’s entry stood apart because of her focus on a subject that rarely gets the attention it deserves: school board finances in mid-sized Nebraska cities. Her project documented how a series of budget reallocations in her district had quietly shifted resources away from arts programs and toward administrative consulting contracts — a story she uncovered through public records requests and careful comparison of budget documents dating back six years.

Her approach mirrored exactly the kind of methodical, document-driven reporting that defines the best of American investigative journalism. Priya recognized early that accountability starts at the local level — that the decisions made in a school gymnasium on a Tuesday evening can affect thousands of families for decades. We need more journalists willing to cover that ground. Priya will receive full tuition to the Camp La Junta program, along with ongoing mentorship support as she pursues her journalism degree at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The Selection Process: How Winners Are Chosen

Each year, the selection committee applies a consistent set of criteria rooted in the values Tommy Redhorse practiced throughout his career. We look for three things above all else.

First, we prioritize applicants who demonstrate a commitment to verifiable, document-backed reporting. Words are powerful, but they’re most powerful when they’re grounded in evidence. We want students who understand the difference between having an opinion and having a story.

Second, we evaluate originality of subject matter. We’re not looking for polished finished products — most applicants haven’t yet had access to the resources that professional journalists rely on. Instead, we look for topics that the applicant discovered themselves, stories that come from their own community and curiosity rather than from assignment editors or professors.

Third, we assess long-term potential. The scholarship isn’t just a one-time award — it’s a gateway into a network of mentors, peers, and opportunities. We want recipients who will stay engaged, who will return from Camp La Junta with new skills and apply them semester after semester. Journalism is a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re looking for runners, not sprinters.

What Winning Means for Young Journalists

Receiving the Thomas Redhorse Memorial Scholarship is about more than the financial support, though that matters. Full tuition to Camp La Junta opens doors to a unique environment — a place where the Texas Hill Country provides the backdrop for intensive journalism training, outdoor leadership experiences, and lasting connections with fellow aspiring reporters.

But the mentorship component is what truly sets this program apart. Each winner is paired with a working journalist who provides guidance throughout the year. I’ve personally maintained relationships with past winners who now work at publications ranging from regional daily newspapers to national digital outlets. That network, built over years and rooted in shared purpose, is invaluable.

I’m also proud that the scholarship keeps Tommy’s legacy alive in a very tangible way. He believed that the best journalists came from everywhere — not just major cities, not just elite universities. He believed in going where the story is, often to places that larger news organizations had abandoned. The Thomas Redhorse Memorial Scholarship carries that philosophy forward, recruiting and nurturing talent from communities that need strong, local investigative reporting the most.

Looking Ahead: The Future of the Program

The 2026 cycle marks the eleventh year of the scholarship, and each year I am more convinced that this work matters. The journalists coming up through programs like Camp La Junta are more diverse, more tech-savvy, and more committed to the craft than ever before. They’re building newsletters, producing podcasts, filing FOIA requests on their phones, and finding audiences online that traditional newsrooms have struggled to reach.

I’m excited to watch Maya, Jordan, and Priya develop as reporters and storytellers. If their application materials are any indication, they represent exactly the kind of voices our industry needs more of — curious, courageous, and relentlessly dedicated to getting it right.

Congratulations to all three winners. The application process begins again in January 2027, and I encourage any student passionate about investigative reporting to start preparing now. The truth needs advocates, and the next generation is stepping up.

To learn more about the Thomas Redhorse Memorial Scholarship and Camp La Junta, visit our scholarship page.