DENTON (UNT), Texas – Nineteen high school students from across the state of Texas  were selected for the Emerging Journalists Program, a three-year project by UNT’s Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism in collaboration with the Scripps Howard Fund. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of journalists and help to ensure that newsrooms better represent the broader population.

The program took place June 11-15 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.

“We are committed to helping develop and diversify news talent as well as strengthen community journalism and democracy,” said Dr. Dorothy Bland, program director and professor at the Mayborn School. “We are extremely grateful to the Scripps Howard Fund, media partners, faculty, staff and others for making this program successful.”

Samara Penny, a Judson High School student from Converse, Texas, and workshop participant, said she enjoyed the field reporting, exposure to multimedia tools and teamwork during the workshop. The “feedback was great…you didn’t treat us like babies,” she added. Penny said she plans to apply what she learned during her internship with Community Impact in the San Antonio area this summer and with student media at her school in the coming year.

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 nearly 40 applicants, include:

• Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bassett; Westlake Academy, Roanoke
  • Media Partner: The Rambler
• Tatiana Cheatham; Denison High School, Denison
  • Media Partner: Herald-Democrat/CherryRoad Media
• Autumn Copeland; Devine High School, Devine
  • Media Partner: Devine News
• Sawyer Dodd; Heritage High School, Frisco
  • Media Partner: Texas Metro News
• Flora Farr; Communications Arts High School, San Antonio
  • Media Partner: San Antonio Report
• Rusty Gonzalez; Prosper High School, Prosper
  • Media Partner: Advocate Media
• Mariam Jalloh; Heritage High School, McKinney
  • Media Partner: Texas Metro News
• Pragnya Kaginele; Carroll Senior High School, Southlake
  • Media Partner: Community Impact – DFW
• Anh Le; Coppell High School, Coppell
  • Media Partner: Dallas Morning News
• Adrianna Mendez; Fairfield High School, Fairfield
  • Media Partner: Fairfield Recorder
• Isaac Mercado; Coppell High School, Irving
  • Media Partner: Dallas Free Press
• Brian Murray; Hill Country Preparatory High School, San Antonio
  • Media Partner: Seguin Gazette
• Samara Penny; Judson High School, Converse
  • Media Partner: Community Impact – NE San Antonio
• Sruja Peruka; Heritage High School, McKinney
  • Media Partner: Texas Metro News
• Ashlyn Poole; Aledo High School, Aledo
  • Media Partner: The Community News
• Isabella Sandoval; Judson High School, San Antonio
  • Media Partner: San Antonio Report
• Madison Scott; Aledo High School, Aledo
  • Media Partner: The Community News
• Lilith Swint; Mesquite High School, Mesquite
  • Media Partner: Advocate Media
• Irene Zheng; Bellaire High School, Bellaire
  • Media Partner: Community Impact – Houston

For more information on the Emerging Journalists Program, visit journalism.unt.edu/emergingjournalists.