Introducing the 2026 SRL Summer Academy Fellows

June 1, 2026

By: Anthony Payne

The latest cohort of PBS News Student Reporting Labs’ Summer Academy Fellows has arrived! From June 24 – 30,  18 fellows and two members of the behind the scenes reporting team will meet in Washington, D.C. for a week of free video journalism training to learn production skills, collaborate and produce their own reported stories spotlighting the DMV community. Lodging and training will take place on the Georgetown University campus.

In recognition of America’s 250th Anniversary, this year’s stories will focus on inspiring people in the DMV area and explore stories of America’s past, present, and hopes for the future. Meet the new class of Academy fellows below, and stay tuned for their stories around American identity coming this summer.

This level of free hands-on media education is made possible by support for public media programs like PBS News Student Reporting Labs and WETA. Consider donating today.

Meet the fellows!

	Name: Ajax Solo Rio-Zwerner | City: Bozeman, MT Bio: Ajax Solo Rio-Zwerner is a rising junior at Bozeman High School in Bozeman, Montana.  He loves telling stories, both those that are pertinent in the real world, and those that bring joy through their illustrative nature. As such, he enjoys his English and history classes the most (though, he’s hoping to get his school newspaper club to grow into an actual class, so that that can be his favorite instead).  Outside of school, he spends his time reading comics and analyzing their themes, as well as working on projects with his friends that involve civics in their community.
	Name: Aliyah Amillian Williams City: Omaha, NE Bio: Aliyah Amillian Williams is a freshman at Marian High School in Omaha, Nebraska. She’s done two semesters of broadcasting and plans to continue in journalism in the coming school year. She really enjoys photography, videography, and editing. She also loves traveling, nature, listening to music, and spending time with her family. She hopes to learn and grow from this experience, and meet like-minded storytellers.
	Name: Anthony Padron City: Miami, FL Bio: Anthony Padron is a student at Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida.  He says TV production has helped him in many ways, and he’s encouraged to make a career out of it. Anthony is also a football player and takes the sport very seriously. He studies hard, eager to achieve all of his dreams. He’s eager to meet new people and work together, and arrive at the University of Miami as the best they’ve ever seen.
	Name: Ben Kurian City: Powell, OH Bio: Ben Kurian is a rising junior at Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell, Ohio. His work explores the intersection of healthcare and systems-level thinking, from co-founding Students for Patient Advocacy Nationwide (40-member healthcare advocacy organization) to producing documentaries recognized by C-SPAN and public officials. Outside of that, he’s a multi-instrumentalist, competitive debater, vinyl collector, biker, and is always hunting for new Oreo flavors (current flavor: Chocolate Ganache Thins). He’s excited for the Academy as a place to sharpen both his storytelling and the ideas behind it.
	Name: Brennan Lang City: Columbia, SC Bio: Brennan Lang is a sophomore at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, South Carolina. Her favorite class in school is her AP Seminar. She is also heavily involved in her school’s Student Council. Outside of school, Brennan loves to work out and go out to eat with friends. She’s pumped to meet like-minded people with a passion for storytelling and justice during his trip to D.C.
	Name: Charlotte Mathias City: Long Branch, NJ Bio: Charlotte Mathias is a junior at Communications High School in Wall Township, New Jersey. She loves to direct for her school’s Drama Club, organize events on the student council, and most of all, create films. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with friends and going to the beach. She is thrilled to continue finding stories and connecting with others through filmmaking and storytelling.
	Name: Divya Thamman City: Minneapolis, MN Bio: Divya Thamman is a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She cares about bringing attention to untold stories through journalism, social justice issues, community, and the potential for youth to have a positive impact. When she’s not at school, you can find her time blocking in as many extracurriculars as possible, or having miso soup while editing documentaries late at night.  She’s most excited to meet and learn from a network of professionals and students who also love storytelling at the Academy.
	Name: Drake Elijah Dungey City: Lansing, MI Bio: Drake Elijah Dungey is a junior at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. His favorite subjects are English and video production. When not in school, he likes to hang out with friends and play sports. He is most excited to learn from other like-minded people at the Academy.
	Name: Eloisa Soto City: New York, NY Bio: Eloisa Soto is a sophomore at the The Bronx High School of Science in New York City. She loves science – especially biology – and humanities. She likes to swim and her favorite place is the beach. She’s looking forward to meeting everyone!
	Name: Emma Lai City: Iowa City, Iowa Bio: Emma Lai is an incoming junior at Iowa City West High School. She is the multimedia and features editor for her school’s online publication, West Side Story, and enjoys interviewing, writing and recording podcasts. Outside of reporting and journalism, she is involved in her school’s show choir ensemble and girls’ tennis team. She’s excited to explore Washington, D.C. and meet fellow broadcasters!
	Name: Esperanza “Espy” Cubillos City: Larkspur, CA Bio: A junior at Redwood High School in Marin County, California, Espy Cubillos loves her journalism class, her film class, her history class, and her AP comp class. When she’s not in her classes she’s in Mock Trial, Model UN, speech and debate, leadership, her tennis club at school, or spending time with friends and family. She loves to spend time outside and meet new people. She’s most excited about travelling to new places to learn about stories she’s never heard before, meet people she’s never met before, and have fun!
	Name: Jolen A McKenzie City: Tupelo, MS Bio: Jolen McKenzie is a junior at Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi, with a strong passion for broadcast journalism and storytelling. He has been actively involved in student leadership, serving on student council all four years and currently contributing as a social media manager, helping keep students informed and engaged. Jolen has attended multiple journalism-related events and participated in a summer camp at the University of South Carolina, where he further developed his interest in media and communication. In his free time, he enjoys creating content, staying involved in school activities, and connecting with others. He is excited to continue growing his skills and meet other students who share his passion for storytelling and media.
	Name: Nora Bartel City: Salt Lake City, UT Bio: Nora Bartel is a junior at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s happiest on the stage, writing, at a concert, or in front of the camera! She’s obsessed with stories in any form — from music to theatre to news. She enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, dancing, and spending time with friends! She’s most excited to meet other students who care about storytelling and to work with professionals at the Academy.
	Name: Nora Dorn City:  Philadelphia, PA Bio: Nora Dorn is a junior at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. She majors in Digital Media Production and enjoys doing videography, journalism, photography, and graphic design in her media program. Out of school, she enjoys watching TV,  embroidering, and playing volleyball. She loves connecting with others through media and is looking forward to telling more developed stories.
	Name: Rivers Newsum City: Austin, TX Bio:  is a freshman at McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. She loves learning, and has enjoyed working on projects in her digital media class. In her free time she likes to hang out with friends, watch shows, and read. She’s most excited to get to work with a group of people who all love journalism and reporting, and to get to learn from them.
	Name: Ryanna Robinson City: Washington D.C. Bio: Ryanna Robinson is a sophomore at The Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia. She’s from Washington, D.C., with a passion for storytelling, global issues, leadership, and service. She is interested in international relations, sociology, journalism, and humanitarian work, and loves using storytelling to connect people and amplify voices that are often overlooked, whether through TikTok videos, advocacy, or student journalism. Outside of school, she is involved in a lot of volunteering, youth advocacy, mentoring and tutoring, Model UN, and a student news club she started called Good Day FXC. Whatever she chooses to do in the future, Ryanna says she wants to use her voice because it is one of the things she values most. She is especially excited to build lifelong friendships, strengthen her storytelling skills, and connect what she learns through SRL to her future study abroad experiences and senior project.
	Name: Shane Mukasa City: Attleboro, MA Bio: Shane Mukasa is a junior at Attleboro High School. He has a twin brother named Seal who is currently a senior – he notes that he would be a senior too, but stayed back in preschool. He’s quite short, while his two brothers are exceptionally tall. But he makes up for this in his standout personality and the way that he carries himself, whether that’s talking to other people, advocating for what’s important, or showing up for others when it’s needed.
	Name: Yohanna Seife City: Silver Spring, MD Bio: Yohanna Seife is a junior at Springbrook High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. Her favorite subjects include journalism and history, especially anything that helps her understand how to tell real stories about people and events. She enjoys reporting, interviewing people, bike riding, and hanging out with friends and family. Outside of school, she works on student media projects, runs her blog The Student Edition, and is involved in youth leadership activities. She is especially passionate about giving people a voice through interviews and storytelling, and she’s excited to meet other students who are interested in journalism and sharing real stories.

 

Behind the Scenes Reporting Team

	Name: Morgan Hawkins City:  Washington D.C.
	Name: Winnie Centofani City:  Washington D.C.