Shelby Smith is currently pursuing her Master’s in Open-Source Investigative Reporting at the University of Memphis. She is an intern at the Institute for Public Service Reporting, and has also reported for Prism.

Kaniz Fatema has worked as a journalist with The Business Standard in Bangladesh for over four years, covering human rights and gender-based violence. Her reporting on migration earned Best Reporting at the 10th Migration Media Award in 2025. As a graduate student, her master’s project examines the evolving abortion access landscape in Illinois.

Kennedy Thomason was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The O’Colly, as an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University. Kennedy has interned in Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C., covering state and national government. She hopes to be a statehouse reporter, delivering news to citizens who need it most.

Sophie Machesky was editor-in-chief of her college newspaper at Penn State Fayette. She also freelances at the Uniontown, PA-based paper, The Herald-Standard. “I am a young, curious, and digitally savvy worker with an affection for reading and writing traditional news,” Machesky says. “With consistent changes in the media landscape, furthering my education in journalism will aid me in making the best choices for consumer-specific news generation.”

Yixuan Wang earned her undergrad in Journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She’s worked as a video journalist, news reporter, and multimedia journalist. Her research interests center on the intersection of digital journalism, content distribution, and platform dynamics.

Senna Omar is pursuing an M.A. in Specialized Journalism with a focus on investigative and open source reporting. Senna was the editor-in-chief of the Highlander newspaper at UC Riverside and was selected as the scholarship recipient due to strong professional and academic recommendations.

Danilo Pascaretta received his B.A. from the University of California, Davis, in Technocultural Studies. He is a U.S. Army veteran of 7 years now pursuing a master’s in multimedia journalism. He has experience with collecting, editing, and producing content for broadcast and digital platforms, as he was a mass communications public affairs specialist overseas with the army.

Laiba Zai is pursuing an M.A. in Journalism with a focus on Investigative and Political Reporting. “I plan to pursue a career in investigative and political journalism, focusing on issues of governance, accountability, and digital rights,” Zai says. “During my time at the Missouri School of Journalism, I hope to strengthen my reporting and storytelling skills to produce impactful, ethical journalism.” Zai has produced investigative and political stories published by Pakistani outlets such as Nukta and ‘The Knowledge Forum.’

Allison Mawn did her undergraduate degree in journalism and economics with a minor in American Sign Language, before going on to pursue her master’s degree in journalism. She has been a business reporting intern at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a digital producer intern at 11Alive and a freelance contributor for the Georgia Bulletin. She has served numerous positions at The Red & Black, the student run newspaper at UGA, including editor in chief, podcast editor and news editor. She was also on the team that finished in the top three in the nation in the 2024 Reynolds Journalism Institution Student Innovation Competition.

Zoe Meyer completed her B.A. in Journalism at Denison University in 2023 then worked as a reporter for the Sierra Sun and Tahoe Daily Tribune in Truckee, California. “What drives me is uncovering raw, unfiltered stories — the kind that reveal something previously unseen, or unspoken,” Meyer says. “I’m especially drawn to narratives that give people a voice, particularly those often left unheard. My background in psychology informs how I interview, listen, and write — always with empathy, always with curiosity.”

Anne-Elise Tidwell earned her B.A. in Journalism at the School of Journalism and Strategic Media before continuing on to pursue a master’s degree. She has shown exceptional dedication to investigative reporting through her work with Travelers and Hill magazines. In her M.A. studies, Anne-Elise plans to focus on uncovering the overlooked history of Arkansas prison farms, using rigorous investigative methods and long-form storytelling to bring underrepresented stories to light.

Brenda Machado is pursuing dual master’s degrees in Bilingual Journalism and Latin American Studies. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Machado is a first-generation college student. She hopes to apply her writing, multimedia experience and data-reporting abilities in roles with media outlets focused on human rights and immigration.

Peter Jurich is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism with a focus on the intersection of investigative reporting and sports. Peter was accepted into the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence Advanced Reporting Course, and the class had an investigative piece published on nbcchicago.com.

Ashley Lovelace won a 2024 Student Production Sports Emmy® Award (Southeast Region) for the mini-documentary The Hidden Sport – National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. She is a former Editor-in-Chief of The Southern Digest and has been an ESPN guest voice and featured student journalist.

Kevin Wing is a mid-career journalist with experience in print, radio and TV news, is the recipient of two local Emmy awards. He is doing freelance work for KNTV NBC Bay Area while pursuing his M.S. degree at San Jose State University. He wants to become knowledgeable about the ethical uses of AI as he continues to pursue his career as a TV reporter/producer in a rapidly changing future.

Sydney Cuillier is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism graduate student who stands out for her initiative, commitment, and growth. She has produced early stories that highlighted marginalized communities with care and responsibility. Faculty consistently described her as a thoughtful, proactive, and impact-driven journalist who is deeply committed to her development as a storyteller.

Safrin Begum is an experienced journalist with an already strong background in investigative reporting across some of India’s premier news outlets, including The Indian Express and The Hindu. Her work ranges from social justice and education to crime and community issues, all of which reflect her dedication to uncovering the truth in her stories. Currently, she is the Co-Editor at The Global Observer, Northeastern’s only international student magazine run by student reporters.

Tram Nguyen is an incoming graduate student to be enrolled in the Literary Reportage concentration. This concentration places equal focus on elegant writing and rigorous reporting for nonfiction books, articles, and podcasts along the lines of This American Life and Serial.

Sanaya Warner studied political science as an undergrad at Morgan and is interested in becoming a producer covering the legal system as it intersects with politics. She is currently studying under Pulitzer Prize winner E.R. Shipp, MSNBC substitute host Jason Johnson, and attorney Amos Jones.

Emily Autry is interested in producing long-form investigative journalism that interrogates local and national politics while centering the human stories that lie at the heart of law and policy. Through her journalism, she hopes to be an advocate for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and those with mental health needs.

Jonathan Padilla is a master’s in journalism student who has experience reporting for Hofstra’s radio station. His goal is to be an investigative journalist exposing the problems of society. As a reporter, he wants to celebrate the small moments that cause significant change in a person’s life.

Nazeefa Ahmed previously served as editor-in-chief of her campus newspaper and interned at Science Magazine. She is interested in a career in science reporting, covering topics like augmented reality technologies, rocket engineering, and new diagnostic tools. Nazeefa intends to pursue a data journalism specialization related to investigative and accountability journalism.

Elizabeth Tomlin plans to become an accountability- and solutions-focused reporter. She has reported for The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus, Mississippi, and The Reflector at Mississippi State University, and she currently works as a multimedia specialist creating training media for the U.S. military.

Terrance Williams plans to work as a foreign correspondent. He previously served as a senior information technology manager for the U.S. Army, where he managed communications operations and cybersecurity. Williams holds a B.A. in Political Science from Howard University and an M.A. in IT Management from Webster University.