Kingsley Amayo is he is a multi-platform journalist who has worked as anchor and show host for some of Nigeria’s best TV stations including, Channels Television, ITV and NN24 (Defunct). He was one of four outstanding journalists from developing countries awarded the United Nations Dag Hammarskjold journalism fellowship in 2011 and he is passionate about telling balanced African stories. He is currently studying for his Master’s of science in journalism degree at Columbia University. He is also the founder and the Leading Responsibility Officer (LRO) of Open Lines Africa Initiative.
Marissa Armas hails from Denver, Colorado. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Spanish from Metro State University of Denver. Before moving to New York, she worked for Examiner.com as the social media and editorial manager. Armas has also worked hand-in-hand with companies like Care.com, Time Warner, CBS local, Denver Public Schools, 303 Magazine and Voto Latino. She spent a year abroad in Spain where she studied at the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. Armas’ interests include human rights, politics, social justice, fashion, travel, and multimedia. Armas is currently pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University. She also the president of NAHJ at Columbia. Follow her on Twitter at @marissaarmas or email her at mea2181@columbia.edu.
Stephanie Beach has a Bachelor’s Degree in broadcast journalism and dramatic writing from New York University, where she was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the lifestyle magazine Her Campus NYU, and a member of NYU’s evening news show, NYU Tonight. She is a contributor to Seventeen Magazine, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and The Huffington Post, and has worked at both ABC News and NBC News. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Sade Falebita was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her passion for journalism began in high school when she developed one of her first documentaries covering Hurricane Katrina (Not As Seen on TV). She graduated from St. Francis College with a B.A. in Film and Broadcasting and B.S./M.S. in Accounting. While there, she was editor in chief of SFC Today (student newspaper) and writer for Terrier Magazine (school magazine). After graduation, she worked at one of the big four accounting firms and discovered that auditing was no match for her love of journalism. Sade continues her journey as a multimedia journalist covering social and cultural news stories.
Melissa Fares (@faresmelissa) is currently earning her master’s degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She recently graduated from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, Newsweek & The Daily Beast, FinerMinds, India Times, The Dallas News, The Key Reporter, and more. She is also currently interning at the New York Times, working specifically on the Modern Love column.
Jane Greaves is a New York-based student reporter, transitioning from a long entrepreneurial career in manufacturing, currently working on my third graduate degree. Jane believes it’s never too late to learn new things. Naturally curious and hard working, Jane would like to apply the skills from my diverse background to a new career in broadcast journalism.
With five years of experience as a trial lawyer practicing throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia, Lydia Hu brings her love for legal news and politics to journalism school. Her reporting has covered a range of issues, from herbal supplements to interstate trucking, but her focus is always to tell a compelling story using multimedia platforms. Lydia is one of fifteen fellows in the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. She will pursue broadcast news in a local market and hopes to become an investigative broadcast journalist in the future. In her free time, Lydia enjoys brunching with her husband and walking her dog, Rose Nylund, named after Betty White’s character in Golden Girls. Tweet Lydia @lydiahureports.
Tatyana Ilienko is a Russian-Ukrainian multimedia journalist who is interested in covering social and cultural issues. She strongly believes that all people are amazing storytellers; the key is to find a unique approach to every one of them. Tatyana loves to live in New York with its never-ending news flow. People and the city provide endless material for reporting on different stories and situations.
Greg Jackson, a native of the great Pacific Northwest, worked as a traffic coordinator for a marketing/advertising company in downtown Seattle, Washington before moving to New York City in pursuit of a career in broadcast journalism. He graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Communications. He now attends Columbia Graduate School of Journalism as an M.S. student. In his spare time, he “consumes” sports and music, but he also enjoys producing short-form films and traveling. (@GregJacksonII)
Andrew Johnson is from Brooklyn, New York. He is a graduate of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School and CUNY’s York College, where he received a BA in Journalism. Before that, he majored in history. He has worked as an intern at the weekly Queens Chronicle, where he reported primarily on politics. He is an M.S. student, with an interest in Broadcast Journalism.
Joe Khalil is a reporter who prides himself on being the hardest worker in the room. Joe hails from Metro-Detroit, Michigan. He comes from a big, loud blue-collar Lebanese American home, and has defined his upbringing as typically mid-western with a middle-eastern twist. He has a background and interest in International Relations, and made his “reporting bones” covering hard news and politics in Lansing, MI, his home state’s capital city. Joe is a people person in every sense of the phrase. When he’s not on the job, Joe is a big sports fan (a real Detroit homer with a big place in his heart for his alma mater’s Michigan State Spartans), and can be seen regularly making a fool out of himself through painful karaoke performances.
Grace Lee did her undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where she majored in International Relations. Her journalism experience includes interning at CTV British Columbia and working as a production assistant at CTV Morning Live. You can follow her on twitter @graceehlee or visit her website at graceehlee.com.
Rebecca Lee is a multimedia journalist from New York City. She graduated from Boston College in May 2014 with a dual degree in communications and human development. She went on to pursue her masters degree at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism where she focuses on broadcast journalism. She is an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards research fellow and currently interns at PBS NewsHour Weekend. She has also interned for various television news stations including NY1 and WCVB-TV, an ABC-affiliate in Boston, WGBH and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR). Follow Rebecca on twitter @yjlreb or email her at yrl2104@columbia.edu
Originally from SC, Liza Lucas is a multimedia journalist with special interests in political and healthcare reporting. Her print work has appeared in City Limits, the Bronx Free Press and Manhattan Times. Before coming to Columbia Journalism, she worked in publishing as a book publicist, booking national media coverage for authors on outlets ranging from TODAY to the Wall Street Journal.
Shannon Luibrand is currently a student at Columbia University in the Graduate School of Journalism. She graduated from St. John’s University in May with a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in politics. At St. John’s she was the Features Editor for the independent student newspaper The Torch and the vice president for their chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She is originally from upstate N.Y. and previously interned at The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. She is currently in the middle of her third semester interning for CBS News in the Investigative Unit. She hopes to one day be a network producer.@ShannL18
Meridith McGraw is a M.S. candidate at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Originally from West Virginia, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin as a distinguished graduate of English and Plan II Honors. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill, a presidential campaign, and at a think tank inform her work as a journalist focused on politics both here and abroad. She enjoys travel, golf, live music, film and exploring New York. Contact Meridith by email at mem2305@columbia.edu, or on Twitter @meridithmcgraw.
Samantha Miles is a multimedia journalist who is passionate about reporting on everything from local record-breaking cold weather, to social justice and international human rights issues. She is addicted to the adrenaline of the newsroom, and finds news with a sense of humor to be the most intriguing. When she’s not out reporting, she loves to dance, sing, do impersonations, and go to comedy shows.
Justin Morton is an M.S. student at Columbia Journalism School, where he is focusing on broadcast journalism. He is interested in reporting stories that are self-empowering and inspirational; and hopes to combine his interests in journalism and business to create a media entity that contributes to the way news is distributed and consumed. Justin was an investment analyst at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in New York City, serving financial institutions and high-net worth individuals. He is an alumnus of the Summer Venture in Management Program at Harvard Business School and a graduate of Morehouse College.
Charmaine Nero is originally from Long Island, New York. She is currently pursuing her M.S. degree at Columbia Journalism School. Charmaine is the president of the NABJ chapter at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She was recently picked to to cover the NBA All-Star Weekend as a Ticketmaster/UNITY reporting fellow. She covers sports, crime, courts, politics and ethnic communities. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as a general assignment reporter and sports correspondent. She currently freelance writes for Examiner.com. Follow her on Twitter @modernewsy or email her at csn2105@columbia.edu.
Emilyn Teh is an M.S. student at Columbia Journalism School. Her interest is in fashion and entertainment news, lifestyle stories, and features. She hopes to be an on-air talent when she graduates. She has previously covered Miami Fashion Week, the Met Gala and the CFDA Awards. She graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University with a B.S. in communication and applied economics and management. She is a former Teen Vogue intern and freelancer for Women’s Wear Daily. She has also contributed to PORTER Magazine, Vogue Promos, and E! News. Contact Emilyn via email at est2121@columbia.edu or via Twitter @EmilynTeh.
Mikayla Vielot, a South Florida native, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami with a degree in Journalism and Sport Administration. She has worked for ESPNU Campus Connection, NBATV and WPRI/ FOX Providence. Although not athletic, she loves sports and the legal issues the industry faces. Currently a full-time M.S. student, she is concentrating in Broadcast and hopes to attend law school afterwards.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Renée Wunderlich is a multimedia journalist working as a freelance News Assistant for NY1 and the CNN-NY Bureau. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with honors in Broadcast and News-Editorial Journalism and a concentration in Global Studies. She is a part-time grad student at Columbia Journalism School where she serves on the student government as part-time student representative. She enjoys general assignment coverage, and focuses on investigative reporting, breaking news, mental health and crisis correspondence. She lives in Washington Heights. @ReneeWunderlich; reneewunderlich.com; reneewunderlich1231@gmail.com
Linda Zhang is a multimedia journalist based in New York. She was born in China and moved to the U.S. alone at the age of 15. During college and after graduation, she interned at CNN International at United Nations, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams,” TED Talk, and CCTV-America. Her itchy travel feet have taken her to countries including North Korea, Peru, and Tanzania. The American South is next on her list. You can follow her @lsz2102.
