Meet Grace, this year’s recipient of the Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship. Grace is a senior in the Department of Journalism. Like Brett, she has a passion to make a difference on topics that matter most to her.

“Heading into my senior year here at the University of Illinois, I often sit back and reflect on all that I have done thus far, how many people I have impacted, or what kind of legacy I will leave behind once my days here come to an end in May,” Grace said. “Brett’s time with us was tragically cut short, but the mark he left was indelible.”

We're thinking about Brett Lerner this month and celebrating the first Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship recipient, Walker Post.

A junior majoring in journalism, Post was a natural fit to be awarded the Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship. He came to the University with a passion for journalism and has continued to develop himself as a professional, committed to studying both editorial and news broadcast. He admits, “The busier I am, the happier I will be.

Brett Lerner and his father, Rich Pomerantz, used to spend a lot of time watching ESPN. The two joked about Lerner being the next Mike Greenberg. During Lerner’s time at the U of I, he displayed the skill and determination required to make that kind of career possible – even though Lerner wasn’t an athlete and didn’t have any high-level connections.

Lerner’s time was cut short in October of 2015 by a car accident. He was on his way to do what he loved most – cover a sporting event.

To honor the life and memory of College of Media journalism student Brett Lerner, his parents, Richard and Susan Pomerantz, wish to initiate the Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship Fund in the College of Media. The fund will provide scholarships to journalism students at the University of Illinois. To make a gift online to the Brett Lerner Memorial Fund, visit our giving page.