Ashon Calhoun ’27 MA Honored with NCTA ChangeMaker Award
The Internet and Television Trade Association is recognizing the Ƶ graduate student for significant social impact and service to others.

One of the first things someone may notice about Ashon Calhoun ’27 MA is his selflessness. The other is gratitude. They’re two traits that are core to his values and shape him as a person.
They’re also a reason that when it came time to choose where Calhoun would pursue his master’s degree in communication, Ƶ was a perfect fit.
“I take genuine joy from seeing people win, and I think over time, people recognize that in you,” Calhoun said.
On Oct. 22, Calhoun will be honored as the first ever recipient of the NCTA Education Foundation Fund the Future Student Scholarship. The NCTA—the Internet and Television Association—is a trade association representing broadband and cable television industries in the United States.
Calhoun, a mass communications and public affairs specialist for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and a former multimedia fellow for Hearst Television, was nominated by the Emma Bowen Foundation, which connects media and technology industries with a pipeline of emerging leaders in the field.
The Fund the Future Student Scholarship is one of the NCTA’s ChangeMaker Awards, which honors the significant contributions of an individual, group, organization or content that has created significant social impact.
“It’s amazing to be recognized in this way, and I’m very blessed to enjoy this opportunity,” Calhoun said. “To me, being a changemaker means creating a positive impact wherever you go and on whoever you meet.”
“It’s important to me because one of my core values is selfless service,” he said. “The greatest reward is helping and loving others without expecting anything in return. I think I’ve achieved that, or at least come close to achieving it, by being someone people can come to [and who builds them up].”
Calhoun, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard when he was 19, has served for six years and was recently promoted to staff sergeant. He specializes in photography, videography and army journalism while supporting community outreach and engagement efforts.
About Ƶ’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Ƶ’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the Ƶ learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.