Gwendolyn Owen is a second-year student at Mesa Community College and serves as the news and photo editor of the Mesa Legend student newspaper. She has reported on local politics, education, and community college issues. In addition to her writing, she has developed a strong multimedia portfolio that includes social media storytelling and photography. Gwen will transfer to Arizona State University to pursue a degree in journalism because, as she stated, “values purpose and service to the public.”

Victor Herrera writes for the student newspaper, The Foghorn News, and serves as Opinion Editor. He is also secretary of the Del Mar College Press Club and a copy editor for The Siren literary magazine. Victor plans to pursue a career in journalism.

Desmond Meagley has been on the staff of The Peralta Citizen for the past two and a half years. Desmond recently won a James Madison Freedom of Information Award from the regional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for exemplary leadership as Editor in Chief of the paper during 2025. He is a California Press Foundation scholar and serves on the board of the Northern California chapter of the National Association for LGBTQ+ Journalists. He received an Honorable Mention from NPR for the audio story he produced about a shooting on the Laney College campus in 2025 that took the life of the athletic director. Currently he is a Newscast intern at KQED working on general assignment reporting.

Jayla Planks began training as a staff reporter at SCC’s Northeast Valley News in winter 2026. During her training, Jayla drove two hours each way to cover U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva speaking outside of a former prison that was to be converted into an ICE detention center. Jayla was chosen as SCC’s first A-Mark recipient due to her desire and passion to become a journalist.

Gaebrielle Manikan is a second-year student at Bellevue College, and serves as the Editor in Chief of The Watchdog, the student newspaper. In her role, she leads the newsroom by shaping editorial direction, supervising staff, and ensuring all deadlines and publication standards are met. She also oversees the website, social media, and the final assembly of each issue.

Erica Lee serves as editor-in-chief of The Union student news group. Lee previously spent a semester as news editor and several semesters as a general assignment reporter covering news, sports and feature stories of significance to the campus community. Her body of work includes impactful stories across all sections of the Union and Warrior Life, the student produced magazine. In 2025, Lee was awarded honorable mention in the Ernie Pyle Human Interest Profile category and the coveted Reporter of the Year award by the Associated Collegiate Press at its conference in Washington, D.C.

Gage Walker began as a staff writer for The Inquirer covering the 2024 elections and growing impacts of AI in higher ed, and quickly became the paper’s editor-in-chief. His reporting on Bay Area protests during the second Trump administration won him a statewide 1st place award in news writing from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, and he is a regular paid freelance contributor covering city hall and politics for Martinez News and Views. Gage plans to attend UC Berkeley in Fall 2026.

Noah Schlarman is a second-year student at Sinclair Community College. He started as a reporter at the Clarion and quickly worked his way up to the executive editor position. He has written many important stories, including one about how Ohio’s Senate Bill 1 reshaped higher education at Sinclair. He is active in the Dayton Journalism Lab and will be participating in the inaugural Dayton Journalism Summit in 2026.

Abby Carr is a second-year student at Monroe County Community College and serves as the assistant editor of the Agora, the campus newspaper. She has written about administrative and program changes, student resources, and worked with the Agora’s editor to live report on a bomb threat to the college. Abby plans to transfer to a four-year university to major in journalism and hopes to pursue a journalism career focused on bringing positive social change.