2025 NBCUniversal Scholarship Recipients

Pronouns: He/Him

John Bennett is a PhD candidate in film studies in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently completing a dissertation on the history of the international activities of the Algerian film industry from 1956 to 1984. He received a Chateaubriand Fellowship from the French Embassy in the United States in conjunction with an invitation from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to conduct archival research for this dissertation in 2024. His chapter on French cross-cultural comedy will appear in The Oxford Handbook of Screen Comedy, and his article on Algerian international coproductions will appear in the Arab Studies Journal of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies of Georgetown University. In his teaching, John plans to draw students’ attention to representations of disability in African cinema, such as in films by Ousmane Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambéty and Brahim Tsaki.

Pronouns: She/Her

Ashley Castillo is a Afro-Latina with Cerebral Palsy from The Bronx, New York currently studying journalism as a graduate student at CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School Of Journalism, with a concentration of Local & Accountability. She is a first generation Dominican-American to obtain her bachelors and masters degree. Her goal is to become a TV News Reporter because she aspires to become the change of how disabled people are represented and perceived in storytelling. She hopes to become the leader that her fellow television teachers have taught her of the world she was once isolated from.

The Spanish Television Channels has been an important part of inclusion for her to be part of society aside from being raised with little to none representation of her identities and being deprived of opportunities and resources. She grew up with the news team as being part of her family because her family was in a foreign country in the United States and migrated from the Dominican Republic for the American Dream. They learned to navigate New York City through their native language Spanish with the help of Univision and Telemundo. She also learns from her family’s culture by watching the Dominican Channel every Sunday growing up. Ashley is a student member of DJA, NAHJ and NABJ. Ashley hopes to make her family proud for leaving their home country to another country for better opportunities.

Her inspiration to succeed is seeing her family leave their home country and seeing other people from her family country succeed such as Cardi B and Aventura. She learned how to walk by dancing bachata with her family. Ashley was told she would not amount to anything yet has been determined to succeed with the obstacles that were made to limit her. In her spare time Ashley enjoys swimming, going to the curly hair salon, and playing on her Nintendo Switch.

Pronouns: He/Him

Itai Hershko is a filmmaker and storyteller who believes media has the power to shift perceptions and spark inclusion. Diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and ADHD, he uses his lived experience to create work that brings visibility to invisible disabilities. His first documentary, Making Sens-ory, explores what it’s like to navigate the world with SPD, and has been recognized by film festivals in the U.S., Europe, and India.

Outside of filmmaking, Itai is a dedicated volunteer at Camp Anchor, a summer program for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, where he’s learned firsthand the importance of inclusive spaces and supportive communities.

This fall, Itai will begin college, where he plans to pursue a business degree with the long-term goal of building a media company that champions authentic disability representation. He’s passionate about shifting how neurodivergence is portrayed on screen—from misunderstood to understood, from sidelined to central.

Itai is honored to be selected as a Tony Coelho Media Scholarship recipient and is grateful to NBCUniversal for supporting his mission.

Pronouns: He/Him

Matthew Hua is a hard-of-hearing composer based in Alexandria, Virginia. His music draws on his own and others’ experiences to create an emotional instrumental story. This fall, Matthew will begin his graduate studies at Columbia College Chicago as he pursues a Master of Fine Arts in Music Composition for the Screen. At a young age, the only way that Matthew’s medical team was able to get him to sit for treatments was to turn on a Disney film and allow him to be mesmerized by the film’s music–The Lion King was a reliable tool. Matthew maintains that, even today, film music keeps him centered and motivates him amidst the complexities of his disabilities.

Matthew aims to contribute to an industry that transformed his life. He is passionate about redefining disability with an empathetic lens in music, film, and entertainment. Most recently, Matthew was the Personnel Manager and Music Librarian for the Capital City Symphony in Washington, DC and he is currently preparing for a recording of a 60-piece orchestral work with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. As he heads into two years of study in Chicago, he is honored to be a recipient of the 2025 NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship. He is thankful that NBCUniversal and AAPD share in his belief that film music has only scratched the surface of the potential of featuring artists with disabilities.

Pronouns: She/Her

Juniper “Junie” Johnson is a Cameroonian-American multihyphenate, born in Inglewood, CA and now rooted in the Tampa Bay Area. She earned her BFA in Creative Writing in sun-drenched Sarasota, where she also picked up minors in Film Studies, Art History, and Photography, because one creative outlet was never quite enough. After college, Junie threw herself headfirst into the wonderful world of film, chasing the very thing that both scares and inspires her. In 2022, she joined Lambda Literary’s first-ever screenwriting cohort, studying under Amos Mac, a writer for HBO Max’s Gossip Girl. Fueled by writing mentorship, a lot of curiosity, and more matcha lattes than she’d care to admit, Junie wrote, directed, and produced two short films: Bahati and Heavy is the Head. Both projects screened on opposite coasts, reflecting the breadth of her storytelling reach. When she’s not behind a camera, you’ll probably find Junie in the DVD section of a thrift store, checking each row for the live-action Bratz movie.

Pronouns: She/Her

Shanelly Nunez is a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a passionate printmaker. She uses her art to share her culture, express who she is, and raise awareness about disabilities. Inspired by her Latinx background and life experiences, she creates prints, illustrations, and designs that give a voice to people who are often left out. Her goal is to make art that includes everyone and helps people feel proud and seen.

Pronouns: She/Her

Rosemarie Shamim, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, is on her pathway towards a career in film/entertainment journalism. She believes film and entertainment have the power to unify society, sparking shared conversations and interests. As for the journalism aspect, she values how it allows us to ensure proper representation, taking deeper dives into certain stylistic choices. Rosemarie is currently attending Glendale Community College where she also spends her time as a writing tutor– often working with students with disabilities. Her next goal is to begin writing for her campus newspaper, with the intentions of spotlighting GCC’s film production crew, as well as students/staff part of the school’s Disabled Students Programs and Services. Diagnosed with ADHD around her sophomore year of high school, Rosemarie has learned the positive impacts of this disability, making it her greatest strength. This includes her passion for creativity, storytelling, and holding a closer lens to art and media. Rosemarie defines herself as a people person, valuing collaboration and doing her best to support others. In this evolving field, her ultimate goals are to reverse the popularized style of journalism that tends to focus on superficial knowledge, and rather pursue authentic stories. With this, Rosemarie is determined to use her platform to uplift the existing potential of others, especially individuals with disabilities. She is honored to receive this scholarship and is excited for what’s to come.

Pronouns: He/Him

Anthony McFarland-Smith is a hard-of-hearing young man who recently graduated from the California School for the Deaf, Riverside. This fall, he will attend Gallaudet University, where he plans to study Communication with a focus on sports journalism. Anthony has a deep passion for sports and aims to advocate for and spotlight disabled athletes through the lens of storytelling and journalism. Over the past three years, California School for the Deaf, Riverside, has won three consecutive CIF 8-man football championships. Anthony was part of the 2024 championship team. His journey hasn’t been easy. Growing up with a hearing disability, learning ASL, transferring between two deaf schools, and losing his mother at age 16–all of these experiences shaped who he is today. Through hard work and perseverance, Anthony graduated with the California State Seal of Biliteracy on his diploma. Anthony’s goal—in college and beyond—is to use his voice through writing, reporting, and storytelling to uplift and amplify the power of disabled athletes who continue to redefine what it means to compete and inspire the communities.