Goshen College establishes journalism scholarship in tribute to Janice Stutz Rasley, a former Goshen journalist

GOSHEN, IND —For 50 years, Janice Stutz Rasley worked as a journalist in Goshen, including breaking gender barriers at the time. Recently, her son established a new scholarship in her honor at Goshen College to assist current and future students to become journalists and communicators as well.

Jeff and Alicia Rasley established the Janice Stutz Rasley Endowed Scholarship for Journalism with a gift of mutual funds in 2023 in honor of Jeff’s mother, Janice.

Janice Stutz Rasley, a 1947 graduate of Goshen High School and journalism major at the University of Oklahoma, began her writing career as an intern at the Goshen News-Democrat in 1948. Over the years, she held various titles at The Goshen News, contributing as a writer, reporter and columnist. Additionally, Rasley broke barriers by becoming the first woman employed in an editorial position at The Goshen News.

Prior to her full-time position at The Goshen News, Rasley worked as a part-time secretary in the Goshen College English Department. Additionally, she served on GC’s Afternoon Sabbatical Committee from 1977 to 1989. She retired after receiving Goshen’s Historian of the Year Award in 1989 and currently resides in Naples, Florida.

Jeff and Alicia Rasley established the scholarship with a heartfelt dedication to Janice’s pursuit of journalism when it was challenging for women to succeed in the field. The gift aims to support GC students in their third or fourth years, helping them fulfill their academic goals.

“My wife and I would like to help ease the financial burden of a high-quality education for outstanding students concentrating their studies in journalism or more broadly in communications at GC,” said Jeff Rasley. “Finding a job in journalism and related fields has become very challenging. We can’t help with that, but we can help students position themselves to pursue their dreams for a career like my mom did.”

The scholarship will be awarded to one to two students per academic year in leadership roles moving forward. Students in their third or fourth years studying journalism, communication or broadcasting are eligible for the scholarship.

“Journalism, especially local journalism, continues to face stiff economic headwinds, even though strong community reporting is needed now more than ever,” said Duane Stoltzfus, professor of communication and chair of the Communication Department. “It’s deeply gratifying to have the Rasley family invest in our journalism program, all the more so because of Janice’s many contributions as a longtime journalist with The Goshen News. She knows firsthand the importance of sending highly trained journalists into the world.”

In its first use, the scholarship was awarded to two GC students: Meaghan Godzisz, a senior communications major from Goshen, and Daniel James Eash-Scott, a senior history major and journalism minor from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Godzisz said that the scholarship significantly impacted her final year at Goshen College.

“Receiving the Rasley Scholarship was an unexpected surprise,” said Godzisz. “Prior to this year, I was a commuter student who didn’t have the means to afford living on campus. The scholarship allowed me to live on campus and work closer with the extracurricular activities I enjoy, such as The Record and The Globe.”

Eash-Scott added that the scholarship has allowed him to pursue greater time and effort writing stories for GC’s student newspaper, The Record.

“After learning about the legacy that Ms. Stutz Rasley had on this town, earning a scholarship in her name was a touching experience,” said Eash-Scott. “The financial aid has allowed me to devote more time to my work on The Record, and I’ll forever be appreciative of receiving the inaugural scholarship.”

Read here for more information about Janice Stutz Rasley and the scholarship.