DENTON (UNT), Texas – Across the state of Texas, 20 high school students are working in paid internships at more than a dozen media outlets this summer as part of the UNT Scripps Howard Fund Emerging Journalists Program.
The students completed the multimedia high school workshop June 9-13 on the UNT Denton campus. Students focused on fundamental newsgathering, ethical reporting, writing across platforms, journalism industry standards and style, and multimedia storytelling. Upon successful completion of the workshop, each student was placed in a paid internship with a media partner in their local market.
Poojasai Kona, a Frisco High School student who is working at KERA this summer, said, “What I value the most about the workshop and internship is the people.” She described the people she met during the workshop as“the most kindest and talented people out there. I know that I will definitely keep in touch with them when I further my career. For the internships, my mentors and their patience in answering the countless questions I ask really helps me to further my understanding of how to create diverse, inclusive piece of work…”
Abbigail Shultz, a student from Hill Country Preparatory High School in Spring Branch, said, “Everyone at the (Seguin) Gazette is amazing, and I got to attend a Juneteenth event… to write a story about the legacy of the first known Black business owner in Texas, as told by one of his descendants.”
The Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists program is part of a four-year grant awarded the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism, said Dorothy Bland, program director and professor at the May- born School. She said the program is designed to help prepare the next generation of journalists and ensure that newsrooms better represent the broader population.
“We are proud that we have a 100% internship placement rate for students who completed the multimedia workshop again in 2024,” said Bland, who started the multimedia high school workshop in 2014. “We are extremely grateful to the Scripps Howard Fund, media partners, faculty, staff and others for making this program successful. We are committed to developing the next generation of news talent as well as strengthening community journalism and democracy.”
The Mayborn School’s five-part program will create a strong mentor network between students and working journalists. The program includes a series of high school workshops that will encourage and recruit new cadres of students, “career bootcamps,” in partnership with major journalism associations such as the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic journalists, opportunities for students to have their work published by news organizations, and outreach and continuing education programs for high school teachers in Texas.
This year’s Emerging Journalists Program class, chosen from a group of about 40 applicants from across the state, include:
- Joanne Bach; Klein Forest High School, Klein
- Media Partner: Community Impact in the Houston area
- Rhea Choudhary; Coppell High School, Coppell
- Media Partner: The Dallas Morning News
- Ta’Dondrian Crayton; James Madison High School, Dallas
- Media Partner: Dallas Free Press
- Mira Daniel; Coppell High School, Coppell
- Media Partner: Texas Metro News in Dallas
- Elizabeth De Santiago; Coppell High High School, Coppell
- Media Partner: Texas Metro News in Dallas
- Travis Duong; Klein Cain High School, Klein
- Media Partner: Community Impact in the Houston area
- Abbie Fleeman; Walnut Grove High School, Prosper
- Media Partner: Plano magazine
- McGlauthon Fleming IV; Midlothian Heritage High School, Midlothian
- Media Partner: Waxahachie Sun
- Adiya Gosain; Frisco High School, Frisco
- Media Partner: Community Impact in the Dal- las-Fort Worth area
- Fallon Head; Kingwood Park High School, Houston area
- Media Partner: Houston Landing
- Poojasai Kona; Frisco High School, Frisco
- Media Partner: KERA
- Sydney LaCour; Frisco High School, Frisco
- Media Partner: Texas Metro News in Dallas
- Joe Neuenschwander; Lampasas High School, Lam- pasas
- Media Partner: Lampasas Dispatch Record
- Nyah Rama; Coppell High School, Coppell
- Media Partner: Denton Record-Chronicle
- Daryn Rice; Aledo High School, Aledo
- Media Partner: The Community-News in Aledo
- Summer Sherred; Reedy High School, Frisco
- Media Partner: Community Impact in the Dal- las-Fort Worth area
- Abbigail Shultz; Hill Country College Preparatory High School, Spring Branch
- Media Partner: Seguin Gazette
- Emillie Siv; Klein Forest High School, Klein
- Media Partner: Houston Landing
- Karson Ward; Coronado High School, Lubbock
- Media Partner: KAMC in Lubbock
- Christian Williams; LG Pinkston High School, Dallas
- Media Partner: Dallas Free Press
For more information on the Emerging Journalists Program, visit journalism.unt.edu/emergingjournalists.
