Ashlee Korlach Awarded ACES Bill Walsh Scholarship for 2025

 

Excited to announce that Ashlee Korlach, a journalism graduate of the University of Richmond now pursuing her master's in communications at Syracuse University, has been selected the winner of the 2025 editing scholarship named after my brother Bill.

Many thanks to everyone at ACES: The Society for Editing for helping maintain this wonderful tribute to our beloved Billy. Our family is irrevocably broken, but remembering him through his love of words is something I treasure. xo

Here's the news release:

Announcing the 2024-2025 Walsh Scholarship

The ACES Education Fund has awarded its 2025 Bill Walsh Scholarship for excellence in the editing of news to Ashlee Korlach, a master’s student in journalism at Syracuse University. 

Named after the legendary Washington Post copyeditor and author, the Walsh Scholarship is competitive and includes a prize of $3,500. Korlach is the ninth recipient of the award. 

“I’m honored to receive the 2025 Bill Walsh Scholarship and extend my sincere gratitude to the ACES Education Fund and the Walsh family,” Korlach said. “Editing is a humble practice but one I care deeply about, and this scholarship contributes greatly to my goals as I pursue a master’s degree while editing full-time in news.” 

A Student and an Editor 

Korlach was selected from a field of nearly 50 outstanding applicants from private and public universities from across the country and around the world. 

Kenneth Walsh, one of Bill’s brothers, said he and his brother Terence “were impressed not only with Ashlee's editing, but the thoughtful way she went about her work. She's just the kind of editor we had in mind when this scholarship was started ... I know Bill would be proud."

As an undergraduate, Korlach was editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper at the University of Richmond, the Collegian. Following graduation, she worked as a web producer and homepage editor at the Washington Examiner. After a prior internship at the Boston Globe, she took a full-time position as a multiplatform editor in 2021, which she continues while working on her degree.

Her copyediting work encompasses both digital and print, and she also helps train the Globe’s interns.

“Ashlee consistently steps up,” said one colleague at the Globe. “She knows how to explain the work we do and its value.”

Korlach is on track to graduate in 2026 with a master’s degree in communications with a specialization in journalism innovation.

Congrats, Ashlee!