Eliana Moreno’s family has announced a scholarship at her alma mater to honor the pioneering helicopter reporter killed in a September crash.
The Chapman University memorial fund, revealed Wednesday, will support aspiring journalists at the Orange County school where Moreno, 37, launched a career that made her the only Hispanic bilingual helicopter reporter and camera operator in the country. She graduated from the university’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in 2010.
“Eliana was truly one of a kind. Yet, amid our heartbreak, we find comfort in knowing that something beautiful can grow in her memory,” her family wrote in their announcement. “For 16 years, she soared above Southern California, breaking barriers and becoming a trusted voice for the communities below.”
The family encouraged supporters to donate in lieu of sending flowers, tying the gesture directly to Moreno’s own path. “Our hope is that, through these scholarships, another student will have the opportunity to follow a dream, find a voice, and pursue a future once thought out of reach,” they said. “Scholarships helped make her dreams possible, and opened doors to a career in which she would make history and inspire countless others.”
Chapman University echoed that sentiment in its own statement. “Through this support, Eliana’s passion for storytelling, curiosity about the world, and dedication to her community will continue to inspire and create opportunities for future generations of Dodge students,” the school said.
Moreno died from injuries sustained when the NewsChopper4 helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Sept. 15 while she and pilot George Marciniw were covering a deadly Metro bus collision for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Marciniw and a bystander on the ground were also killed in the devastating crash, which remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The family remembered Moreno for qualities that extended beyond her professional achievements. She is recalled for her courage, compassion, curiosity and love for others, they said.
The scholarship announcement comes as federal investigators continue working to determine what caused the fatal crash. The NTSB recently released a preliminary report on the Sept. 15 tragedy. Live video from the helicopter provided investigators with valuable evidence, but the report did not reach a definitive conclusion about what caused the aircraft to go down.
A final report could take up to 18 months to be released.
Moreno spent her entire 16-year career covering Southern California from the air, building trust with communities across the region through her bilingual reporting for both NBC4 and Telemundo 52. The Chapman scholarship will now channel that legacy into training the next generation of media professionals at the institution where she first developed her craft.
