Hope Bryant, a rising senior from Houston, Texas, has been named a recipient of a 2024 Beinecke Scholarship. As one of 20 Beinecke Scholars this year, Bryant is the fifth Howard University student to receive the prestigious award supporting graduate studies in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Established in 1971 by the Sperry and Hutchinson Company Board of Directors to honor businessmen Edwin, Frederick and Walter Beinecke, the Beinecke Scholarship Program gives recipients $5,000 prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. Bryant, who is currently interning with Sony Pictures Television Studios President Katherine Pope in Culver City, Calif., plans to apply to the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, a highly selective graduate program designed to prepare students for careers as executives of film, television, and new media.“

I’ve always grown up passionate about being creative, loving to read and write and watch television,” said Bryant, a media, journalism, and film major with an emphasis on film production in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. “I realized that our people weren’t equally represented on screen, and I wanted to do something about that. Here at Howard, everyone has the same dream as me – to change the representation of our people on the screen for the better.”

Bryant, who was gifted her first camera at age 7 and would often make her friends appear in her film projects while growing up, was encouraged to attend Howard University after a PSA she created on the murder of George Floyd in 2020 gained traction on social media. During her time at Howard, she has been an active and engaged student, serving as president of the Annenberg Honors Program and a member of Howard University Entertainment, Howard University ELITE Models, the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Student Council and Lambda Pi Eta, the local chapter of the National Communications Association. Bryant has also served as a DEI Ambassador at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France, and was a 2023 presenter at AfroTech, the nation’s largest Black technology conference.

“I was told that, here, I would be able to surround myself with people who are just as passionate about using their creativity to spark change,” Bryant said. “And, here, I’d be with people who are dedicated to speaking out against injustice but understand what it’s like to not be heard.”

Bryant first learned about the Beinecke Scholarship from Theon Gruber, associate director for the University’s ACE Scholars Program. Not one to miss a good opportunity, Bryant applied and became Howard University’s official nominee to the program. Since 1975, the program has selected more than 700 college juniors from more than 100 different colleges and universities to support during their graduate studies at an accredited university.

“These are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met with such different and interesting backgrounds,” Bryant said, reflecting on the 2024 cohort’s first meeting in early July that included students from Columbia University, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, and Syracuse University.

“I’m excited to represent Howard University, but also represent my culture and my blackness,” Bryant added. “This opportunity will really allow me to make my own space while showcasing my culture and I know I’ll be able to do great things now with Howard supporting me.”