06/03/2026
About last night…we had so much to celebrate!
This year, Simsbury Community Media (SCM) renamed our scholarship to honor Simsbury resident and trail-blazing broadcast journalist, Dominique Avery.
Dominique started her career as a radio (WAVZ New Haven) and television (WFSB Hartford) reporter in the early 70s, and in 1980 was recognized as one of the top three reporters in
Connecticut, due to her commitment to cultivating relationships, transparency in her reporting
and demonstrated understanding of the importance of local news.
Dominique continued her broadcasting career as Program Director for the state legislature’s channel Connecticut Network(CT-N). She served on the Board of Directors for Simsbury Community Media (then SCTV,)
creating local programming to inform and engage residents. She is also a Simsbury Hometown Hero and founder of Simsbury’s Flower Bridge.
Because of just how special Dominique is, we were able to create not one, but TWO scholarships, to help support Simsbury High School students who demonstrate a commitment to ethical, fair and local
reporting, and who FURTHER demonstrate a commitment to community television, and the role community television plays in government transparency, as a resource to residents and as a means of highlighting important community events.
We were so proud to recognize both JP Budlong and Victoria Izarra, our two SCM interns, as the recipients of the 2026 SCM Dominique Avery Honorary Scholarship.
Congratulations JP and Victoria! We wish you all the best in college and beyond! 💙💛
(SCM’s initiative to support local students interested in a career in digital communications, broadcast media or journalism, is ongoing. If you’d like to contribute, please visit our website at www.simsburytv.org and dedicate your donation to the Dominique Avery Honorary Scholarship.)
