Introducing the 2024-25 Student Advisory Team
Congratulations to the students on the 2024-2025 Student Advisory Team!
PBS News Student Reporting Labs (SRL) recently selected 31 students from across the U.S. who will work closely with SRL staff to guide the team’s editorial strategy and approach.
The team will meet virtually throughout the school year and contribute feedback and perspectives about issues that matter to young people. Their guidance will help determine SRL’s prompts and assignments on its StoryMaker resource platform for the 2025-2026 school year.
“I am excited to work with this group of passionate and thoughtful students,” said Marie Cusick, SRL’s Editorial Director. “This team’s advice is invaluable to help us develop prompts that are engaging to young people.”
Members of the student advisory team are ready to bring their expertise and diverse approaches to the group.
“I resonate deeply with SRL’s mission to bring awareness to marginalized communities,” said team member Marium Zahra, a student at the Young Women’s STEAM Research and Preparatory Academy in El Paso, Texas. “The Advisory Team will allow me to learn and cover underrepresented stories with students across the country.”
Team member Nuha Hussein of East Kentwood High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, believes everyone is unique and has an important story to tell.
“I’m excited to bring fresh ideas and create engaging content that speaks to a wide range of people. I’m ready to team up with others to make sure we’re sharing stories that matter and reflect everyone’s voices.”
Meet the 2024-25 Student Advisory Team
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Name: Bella Major School: Richard Montgomery High School Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland Bella Major joined the Student Reporting Labs Advisory Team in 2024. As the Multimedia Managing Editor for her school’s publication, The Tide, she is passionate about journalism and storytelling. Bella looks forward to contributing her ideas and collaborating on impactful projects with the SRL team. |
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Name: Chaeeun Yoo School: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (High School Program) Location: Winston Salem, North Carolina Chaeeun Yoo is a senior at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ high school program and is passionate about documentary storytelling. Born in New Orleans and residing in Charlotte, Chaeeun explores the themes of culture, social justice, and identity. They are the founder of The Redwood Review, a journal amplifying the voices of queer and racialized writers. Through her organization Our Iyagi, Chaeeun actively documents and campaigns against the impacts of the military-industrial complex on Koreans, organizing demonstrations against THAAD and other militaristic practices. In their free time, Chaeeun enjoys baking cream puffs and sketching! |
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Name: Claire Baek School: Chantilly High School Location: Chantilly, Virginia Claire Baek is a junior at Chantilly High School in Northern Virginia who is interested in studying journalism and political science in the future. Claire has been involved with print journalism at her school since her freshman year, serving as the Sports Editor during her sophomore year and currently as the Arts & Entertainment Editor. She was a recent fellow at the 2024 SRL Summer Academy, where she fell in love with video storytelling. With her love of storytelling growing yearly, Claire is beyond excited to work with SRL again and collaborate with other student journalists around the US. |
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Name: David Arowolo School: Eastern Technical High School Location: Nottingham, Maryland David Arowolo is a passionate advocate for youth engagement and digital storytelling. He is the treasurer for the Maryland Student Council and is a dedicated member of several national student organizations, including the National Honor Society. David has also collaborated with UNICEF USA as a UNICEF USA National Youth Council member on youth-led advocacy projects, focusing on education and civic engagement. He is excited to bring his leadership experience and creativity to the SRL Student Advisory Team. |
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Name: De’Shanti Black School: JL Mann High School Location: Greenville, South Carolina De’Shanti Black is a senior student at JL Mann High School. She is an active member in her school community, participating in different clubs and sports such as track and field, JROTC, National Art Society, Red Cross Youth, and Best Buddies Club. She is the Public Affairs Officer in JROTC, which requires her to take photos, videos, and interviews, make posters, and deliver school announcements. De’Shanti is also a second-year member of the Patriot Press, often appearing as a host and news anchor interviewing not only students and teachers but members of her community as well. |
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Name: Denver Humphrey School: Homeschooled/Dual Enrolled Location: Orlando, Florida Denver Humphrey is an artist, advocate, and storyteller. As co-founder of a nonprofit, Fourddo, her passions lie in advocating for marginalized communities, amplifying others, and telling stories that start conversations. Through her creative endeavors, she plans to create authentic films, music, and art that challenge norms and perspectives. Denver hopes to play a part in shaping a more humanist and equitable society. |
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Name: Emily Yip School: Holbrook Middle-High School Location: Holbrook, Massachusetts Emily Yip is a junior and part of her school’s student broadcasting program, Code Blue News. She serves as a monthly producer and is part of their graphic design team, working in tandem with the rest of the crew to create a live news broadcast each week. After participating in several national competitions by the Student Television Network team and attending SRL’s 2024 Summer Academy, she’s ready to bring her learnings from those experiences back home. When she’s not out in the field reporting, she’s a passionate member of her robotics team and avid explorer in the world of STEM. |
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Name: Hannah Foster School: Frederick V Pankow Center School Location: Harrison Township, Michigan This is Hannah Foster’s third year in Broadcast Journalism at the Pankow Center. She anchors for Creuseline, which is her school’s broadcast. |
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Name: Jake Salas School: Northview High School Location: Pomona, California Jake Salas is a junior attending Northview High School in Covina, California. This is his third year in his school’s film production pathway, and his first year on the Student Advisory Team. Outside of class, he runs cross country and track, is a member of the Interact/Stemsters club, and the Asian Cultural Appreciation club, and is the secretary for the Film and Cinema club. He is extremely excited to meet and work alongside the team! He hopes to learn more about journalism while contributing to his school, community, and SRL. |
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Name: Jenna Schleter School: Gibson Southern High School Location: Princeton, Indiana Jenna Schleter is a senior in high school. This is her first year working with SRL, and she is excited to learn and grow her knowledge and skills in journalism. |
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Name: John Lemburg School: Herschel V Jenkins High School Location: Savannah, Georgia Born in Mississippi to Episcopalian Ministers, John Lemburg was raised with strong principles of the importance of social equity. He currently attends Herschel V Jenkins High School in Savannah, GA. John discovered his interest in journalism by learning about famous watchdog journalists like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. John has taken a particular interest in reporting on the status of the South, specifically its massive issues with poverty and the growth of gentrification. Beyond journalism, John is interested in international politics and physics. In his free time, John is an Olympic weightlifter and hopes to compete on the national team. |
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Name: Jurnee Ross School: Sparta High School Location: Sparta, Michigan Jurnee Ross is a senior at Sparta High School in Sparta, Michigan. She joined the Student Advisory Team this year and is excited to experience this opportunity. Her favorite research topics are anything related to art, sports, and historical events in her community and worldwide. In the past, Jurnee has been the editor of her school newspaper, Sparta Lodown, and has made various news videos for Spartan News. Outside her school studies, Jurnee enjoys playing volleyball and softball, hanging out with friends, working out, and managing her side bracelet-making business. |
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Name: Karisma Lee School: Hawthorne High School Location: Hawthorne, California Karisma Lee is a Junior at Hawthorne High School. Although she always had a passion for writing, she’s recently developed an interest in journalism specifically and is looking forward to being on SRL’s Student Advisory team. Karisma is currently a fellow at the Youth Leadership Institute’s Calafia Youth Journalism Program, where she’ll be developing her writing and journalism skills through personal narratives, op-eds, and participating in podcast journalism. In her free time, Karisma participates in theater and basketball, likes watching television, and gets as much reading time as she can during the week. While serving on the advisory team, Karisma hopes to improve her writing skills even more, as well as take a deeper dive into the world of journalism. |
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Name: Kiran Bhatia School: Brookline High School Location: Brookline, Massachusetts Kiran Bhatia is a senior at Brookline High School in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has written for his high school newspaper, The Cypress, for three years, and he currently serves as its Business Manager and Longform Managing Editor. Kiran greatly enjoys political writing, and he has published 12 letters to the editor across The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Kiran was invited to publish two op-eds in The Boston Globe, and he has also published narrative nonfiction on the rising cost of healthcare in this nation. Kiran is very excited to join the Student Advisory Team! |
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Name: Luisa Sanchez-Almenarez School: Boyle County High School Location: Danville, Kentucky Luisa Sanchez-Almenarez is a junior at Boyle County High School in Danville, Kentucky. She serves as Senior Editor and Journalism Co-Lead of The New Edu, Kentucky’s only statewide, youth-led independent newsroom, where she empowers young people to amplify their voices and be leaders in issues that affect them through storytelling. This year, she won first place in the opinion editorial category for the National Report for America Student Journalism Awards. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, painting, and watching movies with her family. |
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Name: Macayla Ramsey School: Cass Technical High School Location: Taylor, Michigan Macayla Ramsey is a senior at Cass Technical High School. She was a participant in SRL’s 2023 Winter Academy and contributed to the 2024 PBS NewsHour piece “Troubled rollout of FAFSA overhaul causes major delays for students seeking financial aid.” |
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Name: Marium Zahra School: Young Women’s STEAM Research and Preparatory Academy Location: El Paso, Texas Marium Zahra is an independent journalist, artist, and poet working from the Frontera in El Paso, Texas. Marium works with local magazines, nonprofits, anthologies, and organizations that protect social justice. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Yes! Magazine, The Nation, PrismReports, Chalkbeat, The Progressive Magazine, El Paso City Magazine, and more. |
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Name: Mo Damtew School: Lincoln High School Location: Portland, Oregon Mo Damtew is a student journalist from Portland, Oregon with a keen interest in amplifying the voices of those often overlooked by mainstream media. He joined the Student Advisory Team to connect with fellow student journalists from across the country who share his passion for community storytelling. |
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Name: Nico Fischer School: Santa Clara High School Location: San Jose, California Nico Fischer is a student journalist from San José, California. Nico is the host of SRL’s On Our Minds: Election 2024 podcast. He is a youth advisor for KQED and the Chair of the Santa Clara County Youth Task Force. As a former student at the Asian American Journalists Association’s JCamp, Nico has researched gentrification and the commodification of culture in Austin, Texas. He is currently writing a book on the history of activism in San José titled Beyond Sal Si Puedes: San José’s Legacy of Resistance. This is his second year participating on the Student Advisory Team. |
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Name: Nuha Hussein School: East Kentwood High School Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Nuha Hussein joined the Student Advisory Team in the fall of 2024. She also was a member of SRL’s 2024 Summer Academy. She serves as the Social Media Coordinator for East Kentwood High School Athletics and is a member of the Falcon News Network. |
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Name: Padma L Balaji School: Mission San Jose High School Location: Fremont, California Padma Balaji is a junior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, where she’s the Opinion Editor for her school’s award-winning newspaper, The Smoke Signal. Her work is driven by the passion for sharing the stories of the communities around her, leading her to intern at her local radio station and found the youth-focused literary magazine Kaleido Zine. Her advocacy also fuels her passion for journalism, as she leads the newsletter team at the youth-led climate organization Bay Area Youth Climate Summit. Outside school, she enjoys drinking iced coffee, reading poetry, and thrifting. |
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Name: Precious Foreman School: North Point High School Location: Waldorf, Maryland Precious Foreman is a junior at North Point High School in Waldorf, Maryland. She became interested in film at thirteen and created her first short film, Call Me Cleo, the next year during the Black Girls Film Camp. Precious won Best Audio in SRL’s 2022 Student Journalism Challenge and was a 2023 SRL Summer Academy fellow. She is a spoken word artist and loves hanging with friends and watching TV in her free time. Precious dreams of working in broadcast news and television and becoming an executive producer. She is excited to work with the other students this year! |
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Name: Riesling Liu School: The Awty International School Location: Houston, Texas Riesling Liu is a current junior at the Awty International School in Houston, Texas. She is looking forward to being part of the SRL Advisory team to ensure that youth stories are told. Riesling is a two-time national gold medalist in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She is a reporter for her school newspaper, as well as a writer for The Teen Magazine. Riesling is a part of the Houston Mayor’s Youth Council, advocating for the rights of children. She is also a Youth Outreach Leader for the Houston Sunrise Movement organization where she spearheads youth climate initiatives. |
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Name: Saanvi Ram Bio: Saanvi Ram is a senior at Hempstead High School with a strong passion for journalism and storytelling. She writes for her local newspaper, The Telegraph Herald, and was selected for the JCamp ’24 cohort. Driven by her commitment to making a difference, Saanvi founded Lives Through Letters, an initiative developed over the past five years to connect youth with isolated seniors. Her internship with the Borlaug Ruan International Program took her to Peru, broadening her understanding of global issues. Saanvi aims to use her skills to connect with others and make a difference in her community. |
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Name: Samantha Babst School: Independence High School Location: San Francisco, California Samantha Babst is a current senior at Independence High School in San Francisco. She is an artist and aspiring animator whose work has appeared in galleries and even at the All-American High School Film Festival. Sam loves living in the city despite all of its issues because of all the vibrant art that the urban environment creates. Sam is thrilled to begin her first year working with SRL and hopes to help amplify youth voices around the country. |
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Name: Samira Yunusova School: Brooklyn Technical High School Location: Brooklyn, New York Samira Yunusova is a sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School. She is interested in computer science, psychology, graphic design, and writing. In her free time, she enjoys reading novels, writing poems, drawing, music, and sitcoms. She’s excited to work with the other students on the board! |
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Name: Samuel Girven School: New Market, Virginia Location: Shenandoah Valley Academy Samuel Girven is a senior at Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Virginia. He is a correspondent for Spectrum, a news magazine focusing on the Seventh-day Adventist church and its 22 million worldwide members. Since 2021, he has been a religion reporter for multiple publications, earning recognition from the Associated Church Press. A native of northern Michigan, Samuel is an avid skier and experienced photographer. He is a member of the Shenandoans, his school’s touring select choir, and loves reading, traveling, and meeting new people. Samuel is excited to join the SRL Advisory Team! |
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Name: Simran Gupta School: Alliance Academy for Innovation Location: Cumming, Georgia Simran, a senior in high school, is currently a special correspondent at PBS News Student Reporting Labs, focusing on the 2024 U.S. elections. She was a researcher, fact-checker, and blog writer for Season 4 of the award-winning podcast On Our Minds which focused on teen mental health and well-being. Having served on local, state, and national youth committees dedicated to improving education and increasing youth involvement, Simran is excited to continue her journey in journalism through SRL’s Student Advisory Team. |
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Name: Sriya Tallapragada School: The Pingry School Location: Basking Ridge, New Jersey Sriya Tallapragada has been a freelance political journalist since 2021. She was a winner of the Student Journalism Challenge in 2022 and attended the SRL Summer Academy in 2022. Since then, she was named a 20 under 20 student journalist by SRL and has collaborated on various SRL projects. |
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Name: Steven Jiang School: Walter Payton College Prep Location: Chicago, Illinois Steven Jiang is a sophomore at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago, Illinois. He covers political news for his school newspaper, the Paw Print, and serves as an Opinion Editor. Outside of journalism, he is an elite cross country and track athlete, policy debater, and board member of the Illinois High School Democrats and Voters of Tomorrow Illinois. In his free time, Steven enjoys running, drawing, reading, and watching soccer. |
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Name: Sukey Hayden School: District of Columbia International School Location: Washington, DC Sukey Hayden is a junior at the DC International School. She is a producer for their student-run news show, Dragon TV, and has been working with Student Reporting Labs since 2023. |