Alex Chen is from New York. His interest in urban and political journalism stems from his experiences witnessing political misconduct in his home country, Brazil. In school, Alex is an editor, writer, and photographer for his school newspaper. He is also a member of an organization that seeks to broaden the accessibility of journalism…

Alexa Garner is from Tennessee. She is interested in journalism for the platform it provides for underrepresented voices. Alexa serves as the Tennessee President of a national career-development program and created her school newspaper. She also founded the a county-wide tutoring program in response to Tennessee’s third grade retention law and…

Anastasiya “Ana” Chernitska is from New Jersey. Her interest in journalism is intrinsically tied to her background and heritage as a Ukrainian-American. Having heard about the 2014 Ukrainian Euromaidan protests from her family in Ukraine, she became all the more aware of politics with the advent of the 2016 presidential election. In school, she…

Andrew Demar is from Virginia. His interest in journalism stems from his desire to explore how various issues can affect diverse demographics, as well as his belief that language is a transformative power capable of changing minds. In school, he serves as the president of his high school’s National Honor Society and is actively involved in…

Angela Colegio is from Texas. She became interested in journalism when she learned of how words can have the power to create much change within society. She currently serves as the leader of the Speakers Department at South Texas Ideas, where she helps to bring people together in a youth empowerment festival. She also serves as the secretary of…

Angela Sixto Ceja is from California. Her interest in journalism stems from her recognition of how she can amplify the voices of her community and bring awareness to pressing social issues in order to make a difference through journalism. In school, she is involved in her high school’s Human Service Academy, where she has been a part of several…

Angelina “Angie” Rivera is from Pennsylvania. Her interest in journalism stems from her  fascination with the creation and distribution of the news. In school, she is involved in starting events and helping around at her school by serving as both a member of her high school’s National Honor Society and Student Council. She is also…

Asmaa Ali is from Tennessee. Her interest in journalism comes from her love for politics, as journalism is a way for her to share her opinions on local and national events. At school, she is an active member of her high school’s Model United Nations, Debate Team, and Muslim Students Association. In college, she plans to major in political…

Bekzod Mamasoliyev is from Uzbekistan and currently lives in New York. His journalism journey began with a goal to enhance his English language skills but soon evolved into a passion. He further explored journalism by contributing to his school’s newspaper club, eventually rising to the position of Editor-in-Chief within the club. He aspires to…

Briseyda Olivares Rodriguez is from California. Her passion for journalism stems from her efforts to amplify the voices of minorities within her community and to raise awareness about the injustices that they face. In school, she serves as the Co-Founder and President of her high school’s Book Club, a mentor for the Friday Night Live Mentoring…

Camila “Cami” Junco is from Florida. Channeling her interests in writing, particularly storytelling, she is fascinated by the idea of investigating the truth, uncovering a story, and publicizing her work for the people through journalism. She currently serves as both the President of SECME, an engineering club for minorities, and as the Content…

Cindy Perez Munoz is from Texas. Always having loved to read and write, she believes journalism is a way to pursue her passions while also informing people about important topics and being a voice for communities who are not being heard. In school, she participates in her high school’s National Honor Society, University Interscholastic League,…

Connie Hernandez is from California. She uses journalism as a gateway to learn about
current issues and obstacles that hinder the betterment of humanity as a whole. During the academic year, she is a scholar in an after-school program offered through a prestigious university in her state and is part of an advocacy club at her…

Darasimi Bankole lives in Georgia and is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) candidate at her high school. Her love for journalism originates from her passion for speaking, writing, meeting new people, and language. She is a co-president of her school’s News Crew Club and is also a part of her school’s IB Newsletter Committee…

Emilia Reay is from New York. She is a language nerd and is constantly speaking Spanish. Emilia enjoys meeting and working with new people and is the president of her school’s Spanish Honor Society, co-president of her school’s Peer-to-Peer Tutoring club, and an active member in her school’s National Honor Society, Women in Athletics…

Fanta Kaba is from New York. Her interest in journalism bloomed from watching political commentary on CNN with her father everyday in elementary and middle school. Since then, she has thought it was beautiful to document other people’s opinions and experiences that provide nuance to conversations that silence marginalized groups. At…

Hanny Alvarez is from Georgia. She is the president of Student Council, president of HOSA Future Health Professionals, and Vice President of Education in HOPE (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education) at her high school. She devotes her time to participating in almost every program offered at her school, as helping her school community is her…

Jacqueline "Jackie" Aguirre is from California. She intends to use journalism to be a voice for her community and to tell her story as the daughter of two immigrant parents. She is currently the vice resident of a girls empowerment club at her school named G.E.M.S, as well as for MEChA, a club for Chicano empowerment. Jackie has participated in…

Jedidah Worrell is from New Jersey. She aspires to use political journalism to bring awareness and empower people of color to make changes in their communities. She currently serves as the President of her high school’s National Honor Society and is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of her school’s newsletter publication, fittingly named The…

Jorge Vasquez Suarez is from North Carolina. With Jorge’s ever-growing passion for economics, international relations, law, and politics—which have served as a catalyst for his interest in journalism—he actively participates in extracurriculars that cultivate his many passions. He is the Treasurer and Secretary of his high school’s Model United…

Joshua Kim is from Nevada. Journalism captivates him primarily due to its dynamic nature and the ever-changing landscape of diverse topics and stories. He serves as a student editor for the Korea Daily newspaper, mentors builders in his school's Science Olympiad club, and tutors math for Mu Alpha Theta. Moving
forward, Joshua aspires to…

Joshua Parra lives in California. He sees journalism as a means to support the democratic process and combat the tyranny of misinformation in favor of truth to ensure a well-informed public. Journalism has, since its origin, been a tool of the people, not of any institution, an idea which firmly resonates with Joshua and one he seeks to live by…

Kia Parikh is from New Jersey. As a first-generation Indian-American, Kia is interested in journalism because it gives her the opportunity to share her story and hear about others’ unique experiences in return. She is passionate about politics and loves discussing and analyzing current events from different perspectives. She is also interested…

King-David Ndubisi is from Nigeria and currently lives in New Jersey. He has always had a passion for telling stories and educating the public through the eyes of those who often have a hard time speaking for themselves. He loves basketball, economics, and reading books. As he continues his education and indulges in more projects, he hopes to…

Kubra Mohammadi is from Afghanistan and lives in Massachusetts. When she was in 9th grade in Afghanistan, Kubra became frustrated by the bias that the media showed against poor and working class people in the news. She hopes to use her voice to advocate for those whose stories are overlooked by the media. She plans to write about women’s rights…

Kyle Lin is from Pennsylvania. Journalism has given him the ability to voice his opinions on issues that affect him and the communities around him. In his free time, Kyle writes for his school newspaper, plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games, practices violin, reads, or tries to teach himself something new. While he has not decided on a…

Ladan Abdulahi is from Georgia. She is the president of her school’s women’s political club and has worked with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition on various projects. Ladan believes journalism has the ability to shape public discourse and opinions. She intends to use it to reclaim the narratives about Muslims presented in the media and…

Madison Aliano moved across the country to North Carolina the summer before her junior year. In that time she developed her love for journalism by founding a student newspaper at her new school and forming a staff to report on events that impact her small town. She is enrolled in a dual-enrollment criminal justice pathway and spends her time…

Meredith Turner is from Georgia. She is interested in journalism as it allows for an understanding between people and the chaos of the world. She is a member of her high school’s National Honor Society, French Honor, CFLA, Girls’ Varsity Tennis, Beta, and Purple Pearls, a female empowerment group. She also serves as the Historian of ISDS and…

Nathania "Natty" Antwi is from Massachusetts. She is very involved in theater as Artistic Director of her school’s Drama Club. Natty is also obsessed with film and literature and indulges in both in her free time. She is very passionate about journalism, because she wants to instill change in government by telling stories through her writing…

Nyria Delph is from Colorado. Her interest in journalism comes from her belief that it is a form of art that portrays the current state of our society, one that we can fix. She is an active member of her high school’s National Honor Society, Health Occupations Students of America, school newspaper, Pre-Med, and many more. She has also played…

Juan Pablo Perez-Castro lives in New Jersey. He is interested in journalism, because it allows him to engage with current events and address issues using his own writing. In a sense, it allows him to have a “louder” voice. In his free time, Pablo participates in the Gender-Sexuality Alliance, Latino Student Union, Human Rights Council, and Key…

Paula Jimenez is from California. As a writer and proponent of the First Amendment, she is mesmerized by the versatility of journalism, which allows her to advocate against social injustices, inform people about global issues, and express her thoughts on topics ranging from science to politics. Her passion for justice and service for those…

Raylan Li lives in New York, where they developed their passion for journalistic communication. Their passion for journalism unifies their experience as a son of immigrants from Hong Kong, active involvement in their school’s Asian Culture Club, and community organizing in predominantly Chinese immigrant communities. For Raylan, journalism can…

Samantha Esquivel is from Texas. Her interest in journalism comes from her firm belief that the first step towards solving a problem is spreading awareness about it. Drawing from her love for writing, she became a member of high school’s Journalism Club and UIL Editorial. She also co-founded her school’s Newspaper Club, where she serves as the…

Siobhan Faughnan is from Florida. She became interested in journalism when she realized the power of her words to spread information throughout her community. As a creative, Siobhan takes pride in her school’s art programs and has worked incredibly hard to build and promote the journalism program, art honor society, and drama club throughout…

Hailing from Southern California, Terran Li loves to shed light on the often hidden away things and shares that passion in journalism. She loves to be an active participant in her community by volunteering in her local city government, as well as heading her school’s Key Club as President. Journalism makes Terran lose all track of time, whether…

Wonjun "Junny" Jung is from California. He is the editor-in-chief for his high school newspaper
and a writer for HS Insider and JSR (Joongang Student Reporter). His interest in
journalism started during the pandemic when the lack of reliable news sources created a frustrating
state of confusion for those around him. Junny…

Yemaya Gaspard is from Florida. Her passion for journalism began in middle school, stemming from her desire to educate people and share the stories of those who may otherwise be unheard. At school, she is a member of Quill and Scroll and of four honor societies. She also serves as the Production Managing Editor of her school’s newsmagazine and…