Chapman University, located in the city of Orange, California, announced a new memorial scholarship program to honor the memory of Eliana Moreno, the beloved NBCLA helicopter reporter who died in a crash last month while covering a story in Chatsworth.
Scholarships funded by community donations
The university is now accepting donations through an online form. All contributions will be directed to a scholarship fund for students at Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. The scholarships are intended to support aspiring journalists, storytellers and media professionals as they pursue their education and future careers.
Eliana Moreno’s legacy
Moreno graduated from Chapman in 2010 and benefited from scholarships that helped launch her broadcast journalism career. For 16 years she reported from the skies above Southern California, becoming a familiar voice to the communities she covered. Her family remembers her for her compassion, courage, curiosity and love for others.
“Eliana was truly one of a kind. Yet, amid our heartbreak, we find comfort in knowing that something beautiful can grow in her memory,” the family wrote in an online announcement.
University’s statement
Chapman University said the scholarships will keep Moreno’s passion for storytelling alive. “Through this support, Eliana’s passion for storytelling, curiosity about the world, and dedication to her community will continue to inspire and create opportunities for future generations of Dodge students,” the university said.
The university added that the scholarships aim to give another student the chance to follow a dream, find a voice and pursue a future that once seemed out of reach.
How to contribute
Donors can make a contribution via the university’s online submission form. In lieu of flowers, Moreno’s family is inviting friends, loved ones and members of the community whose lives she touched to consider a donation in her memory.
“Our hope is that, through these scholarships, another student will have the opportunity to follow a dream, find a voice, and pursue a future once thought out of reach,” the family wrote.
Impact on future journalists
The memorial scholarships provide a tangible way for the community to honor Moreno’s legacy while investing in the next generation of journalists. By supporting students at Dodge College, donors help ensure that the values Moreno embodied—compassion, curiosity, and a commitment to telling others’ stories—continue to shape the media landscape.
For more information about the scholarship fund or to make a donation, please contact Chapman University at [email protected].
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
