Fox News Media has named Amanda Parker and Tess Sonne as the recipients of its 2026 Dr. Charles Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship, the company announced Monday.
The scholarship, now in its seventh year, is awarded in partnership with the National Merit Scholarship Program and administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. It provides financial support to eligible children of Fox News Media employees for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Fox News Media Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Scott said the selection of Parker and Sonne reflects the values associated with Charles Krauthammer, a long-time contributor to the network.
“We are pleased to name Amanda and Tess as the 2026 recipients of the seventh annual Dr. Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship,” Scott said in a statement. “Their commitment to the pursuit of excellence embodies Dr. Krauthammer’s values and we are proud to continue to honor his legacy through this scholarship.”
Both recipients are graduating high school seniors in New York; Daniel Krauthammer will appear on “Special Report with Bret Baier” to discuss the award and his father’s legacy, the network said on Monday.
Parker, the daughter of a Fox News Media video editor, attends Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor, where she is graduating as valedictorian. She founded her school’s Math Honor Society and serves as President of the Equity Club, focusing on fostering inclusivity. Parker has received multiple academic honors, including the Harvard Book Award and recognition as a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. She plans to attend Stony Brook University, where she will study environmental biology.
Sonne, whose parent is a senior executive at Fox Nation, is also graduating as valedictorian, from Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua. She has pursued emergency medical technician certification and volunteers with the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps, while also tutoring Ukrainian students. Sonne has been active in Model United Nations and received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award. She will enroll at the University of Virginia this fall.
The scholarship program is open to U.S. high school juniors who are children of Fox News Media employees and meet academic criteria set by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, including performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. Recipients are selected through a competitive process that does not consider financial need or demographic factors.
Krauthammer joined Fox News in 2002 and remained with the network until his death in 2018. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and a frequent panelist on the network’s afternoon news program “Special Report.” He also contributed to publications including The Washington Post and the Weekly Standard, and authored several books on politics and public policy.
Fox News Media includes the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox News Radio, Fox News Books, Fox Weather, Fox Noticias and streaming platform Fox Nation, and is part of Fox Corporation.
