Student leaders selected for JCamp 2018

SAN FRANCISCO, May 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has selected talented high school students from across the country to participate in JCamp, a six-day multicultural journalism training program for freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

The annual program, which celebrates its 18^th anniversary in 2018, will take place July 30 – August 3 and will be hosted by the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Thanks in large part to the support of donors such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other sponsors, students are able to attend the camp at no cost.

Professional journalists serve as faculty mentors throughout the week and provide students with hands-on training in writing, reporting, photography, broadcast and online media. Among JCamp’s core values are the importance of diversity in the newsroom and in media coverage, as well as the value of cross-cultural communication skills, networking, media ethics and the fundamentals of leadership and collaboration. Over 700 students have graduated from JCamp since 2001.

"JCamp is one of AAJA's premiere training programs, and we're proud to welcome our next class of high school students,” said Yvonne Leow, AAJA National President. “It was a very competitive selection process with hundreds applications received from all across the country. This is a talented group of aspiring journalists, and we could not be more excited for the future of our industry."

"This will be a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn about the vibrant Detroit community and the role communication plays in the revival and growth of our community,” said Matthew Seeger, Dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. “Detroit has a wonderful history as a media town and we are building on that history to create a new, vibrant ecosystem here in Motown."

Arelis Hernandez, political reporter for The Washington Post and JCamp 2004 alumna, returns as the program’s director. “Every year we tell our JCampers how they’ve been selected to be a part of an exclusive journalism network that spans the country and the world and brings together people of extraordinary talent and work ethic. But really, it’s more than that. We are a family. We are extremely proud to admit our newest class and bring them into the fold of one of the leading training programs for high school journalists. We are beyond excited to partner with Wayne State University and grateful to the media and journalism faculty for opening their world-class facilities to our students.”

Neal Justin, TV critic for The Minneapolis Star Tribune, returns this year as JCamp’s associate director. The volunteer faculty members include Ben Bartenstein, reporter for Bloomberg News; Clea Benson, deputy editor for POLITICO Pro; Paul Cheung, director of journalism innovation for the Knight Foundation; Kyndell Harkness, news and sports photo editor for The Minneapolis Star Tribune; Hailey Lee, economics producer for CNBC; and Richard Lui, journalist and news anchor for MSNBC.

AAJA is proud to accept the following students to JCamp 2018: 

Heyabe Abebe – E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.

Kirsten Cintigo - Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Reseda, CA

Kai Dallalio - DePaul Cristo Rey High School, Cincinnati, OH

Ezra Dan - West High School, Anchorage, AK

Narain Dubey - Grant High School, Portland, OR

Ayse Erbas - Montgomery Blair High School, Wheaton, MD

Tyler Ferguson - Purvis High School, Purvis, MS

Wade Glover - Liberty High School, Frisco, TX

Claire Guo - Conestoga High School, Berwyn, PA

Kealia Haitsuka - Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kamuela, HI

Helen He - Phillips Academy Andover, Andover, MA

Skylar Henry - Hathaway High School, Welsh, LA

Jeremy Hsiao - California School of the Arts, Walnut, CA

Bradley Hu - Johns Creek High School, Alpharetta, GA

Kavya Jain - Marquette High School, Ballwin, MO

Ruthie Kesri - Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, KY

Rachel Kuntz - Powell High School, Powell, WY

Russell Leung - Hunter College High School, Flushing, NY

Jessica Lu - Sycamore High School, Cincinnati, OH

Michael Matlock - Silver Creek High School, San Jose, CA

Isabelle May - Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Bethesda, MD

Jeremy Nam - Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea

An Nguyen - Western High School, Anaheim, CA

Benjamin Nguyen - Reynolds High School, Portland, OR

Nonthawan Nirotkunsuk - Caesar Rodney High School, Dover, DE

Sarah Oide - Da Vinci Charter Academy, Davis, CA

Helen Peng - Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Starkville, MS

DeAundre Phelps - Sidney Lanier High School, Montgomery, AL

Noah Phillips - Horace Mann School, New York, NY

Akriti Poudel - Peak to Peak Charter School, Erie, CO

Alfredo Praticò - Julia R. Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA

Isaac Richert - Hopkins High School, Minnetonka, MN

Kayla Ricumstrict - Renaissance High School, Detroit, MI

Angela Russell - Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA

Karina Salinas - Derby High School, Wichita, KS

Heidi Sanchez Avila - Hiawatha Collegiate High School, Minneapolis, MN

Zach Schermele - Great Falls High School, Great Falls, MT

Sanaa Scott-Wheeler - Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia, PA

Jenny She - Bloomfield Hills High School, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Lucy Tu - Millard North High School, Omaha, NE

Johnathan Williams - South Panola High School, Sardis, MS

Aimee Yan - Standley Lake High School, Westminster, CO

Andrea Zagal - Jersey Village High School, Houston, TX

Media Contact:
Yvonne Leow, AAJA National President
Email: yvonnel@aaja.org