Here, we look at some success stories of Youth Reporters who have gone through our program and have moved on to do

big things.

Bio: Elizabeth graduated in May 2018 from Cal State Long Beach with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in political science. Her internships with Telemundo 52, NBC LA and the New York Times Student Journalism Institute helped her return to the NBC LA station as a Digital News Producer where she maintains the station’s website up to date, manages social media in various platforms and occasionally writes breaking news stories. 

“Through VoiceWaves I’ve been able to see how important local or hyperlocal media is! We learned how to better communicate with people and how important it is to recognize diversity and be empathetic.

“I’ve made so many contacts and gotten doors open thanks to VoiceWaves. Conferences both in and outside of the L.A. area have allowed me to expand my knowledge, voice and skills and represent Long Beach. School taught me the basics, but VoiceWaves gave me a huge jump in my career and took me out of my comfort zone. Also, I’ve seen the potential that youth has, and I’m proud and hopeful of the future.

“VoiceWaves also provides the right trainings! And I trust I, as well as my colleagues, can learn a lot! To me, time is limited, unfortunately. But it’s all going in the right track!

“I hope that five years from now, I stay in California doing multimedia journalism while still covering minority communities. My dream job is AJ+!”

Elizabeth’s past work with Voicewaves.

Resume.

Bio: Deonna Anderson is a freelance reporter currently based in Eugene, Oregon. The Los Angeles native most recently served as an equitable cities fellow at Next City, where she covered equitable economic development. Deonna earned her B.A. from the University of California, Davis and in 2016, she received her M.A. in journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. During her time at CUNY, she interned at The Marshall Project, covering the criminal justice system, and at NYMag.com.

“As a reporter for VoiceWaves, I shot and produced a video about resources for low-income community members and provided an analysis on the city’s outgoing mayor in relation to residents’ expectation for the then mayor-elect Robert Garcia. I learned the fundamentals of reporting – with a focus on local issues – and video production skills.

“VoiceWaves reconnected me to the desire to be a journalist. My time as a reporter at VoiceWaves encouraged me to pursue a career in journalism. Since being a reporter at VoiceWaves, I’ve pursued internship and freelance opportunities as well as another degree to sharpen my skills as a journalist. I also gained a great mentor who has helped guide me after both she and I became alum of VoiceWaves.”

Anderson’s past work with Voicewaves.

Resume.