Fox News Media, in partnership with the National Merit Scholarship Program, has selected Amanda Parker of Cortlandt Manor and Tess Sonne of Chappaqua as the recipients of its seventh annual Dr. Charles Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship, announced Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott. Parker is the daughter of video editor Josh Parker, and Sonne is the daughter of Fox Nation Vice President of Content Acquisitions, Engagement & Strategy, Krista Sonne. Throughout his tenure at Fox News Media, Dr. Krauthammer was integral to the network’s premier newscast, Special Report as a frequent panelist. In his honor, the winners were featured on the program with chief political anchor and executive editor Bret Baier on Monday, May 4. Dr. Charles Krauthammer’s son, Daniel Krauthammer, will join Baier on set to discuss the significance of the award and his father’s legacy.
In making the announcement, Scott said, “We are pleased to name Amanda and Tess as the 2026 recipients of the seventh annual Dr. Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship. 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.”
Amanda Parker is a senior at Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor where she will graduate as valedictorian of her class. An accomplished dancer, Amanda also founded the Math Honor Society and serves as President of the Equity Club, where she has worked to foster a more inclusive school culture. Throughout her academic career, Parker has earned the Harvard Book Award, Advanced Placement Chemistry Award, and was honored as a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. This fall she will matriculate at Stony Brook University where she plans to major in Environmental Biology and then pursue a career in the field.
Tess Sonne is a senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua where she will graduate as valedictorian of her class. Pursuing her EMT certification, Sonne reflects her dedication to service through working with the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps and tutoring Ukrainian students. Sonne is a leader in Model United Nations and was recognized with the George Eastman Young Leaders Award. She plans to attend the University of Virginia this fall.
Fox News Media established the Dr. Charles Krauthammer Memorial Scholarship in 2018 to award eligible children of network employees. Winners receive a stipend per college year for a maximum of four years. The program is conducted through the National Merit Scholarship Program by the independent, non-profit National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), including deciding winners and the administration of their awards.
Eligible students must be U.S. high school juniors planning to begin college in the fall of 2026, who have taken the PSAT/NMSQT test and met several academic and additional requirements put in place by the NMSC. Award recipients were selected on a competitive basis without regard to family financial circumstances, gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. After winners are chosen, the NMSC distributes the scholarship directly to the accredited U.S. college/university following the assurance that the student continues their good standings. The scholarship then belongs to the student and will not be affected should their parent leave the company once awarded.
Dr. Krauthammer served as a contributor to Fox News Media from 2002 until his passing in 2018. Renowned for his political analysis and commentary across Fox News Channel’s programming, he often appeared on Special Report with Bret Baier and Fox News Sunday. Dr. Krauthammer started his career at The New Republic and in 1980, served as a speechwriter to Vice President Walter Mondale. Additionally, he joined the Washington Post in 1984 – writing a weekly syndicated column until his passing – and was a chief resident in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also served as a contributing editor at The Weekly Standard.
An award-winning syndicated journalist and physician, Dr. Krauthammer earned the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, the 2013 William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence, the 1984 National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticisms, and the first annual Bradley Prize. He also authored the best-selling book, Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics as well as Democratic Realism: An American Foreign Policy for a Unipolar World. Dr. Krauthammer graduated from McGill University with a B.A. in political science and economics and then became a Commonwealth Scholar at Balliol College in Oxford. He earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
