The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting is excited to announce our class of 2022 investigative interns. This year, the Society partnered with nine news organizations to offer internships to 10 outstanding candidates.
“We are so proud to be placing the second class of the Ida B. Wells Society investigative interns into some of the top news organizations in the country,” Society co-founder Nikole Hannah-Jones said. “This class represents exactly the type of students this program was created to help — students from under-represented groups who are ambitious, hardworking and want to do journalism that matters but simply need help getting their feet in the door. This is the program I wish I’d had when I was trying to make it.”
In addition to support from their newsroom, the interns will receive weekly trainings from top reporters in the industry on fundamental topics related to investigative journalism including backgrounding, data reporting, sourcing and more.
The Society will also provide each intern with a mentor to support them throughout their internship. This year’s mentors are Nicole Carr of ProPublica; Andale Gross of The Associated Press; Raisa Habersham of Savannah Morning News; Sally Ho of The Associated Press; Kate Howard of Reveal; Corey Johnson of the Tampa Bay Times; Aaron Morrison of The Associated Press; Walter Smith Randolph of Connecticut Public Broadcasting; Damaso Reyes of Amsterdam News; and Connor Sheets of the LA Times.
The internships will be a mix of in-person and remote ranging from 10-12 weeks in length. The first intern will begin on May 31.
Meet our 2022 Investigative Intern Class:
Amudalat Ajasa
she/her
News Organization: The New York Times
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
School: Hofstra University
Major: Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
This internship means that I have a unique opportunity to hone and further develop my journalism and investigative skills to become “twice as good” under the guidance of some of the world’s leading journalists. Through this program, I hope to uncover stories hiding in plain sight that will hold perpetrators accountable and bring about change. This internship will push me to work at the highest caliber of investigative work while bringing diverse stories, prospectives and experiences to the newsroom.
Torrence Banks
he/him
News Organization: Miami Herald
Hometown: Nashville, TN
School: Morehouse College
Major: English with a minor in journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
This internship means a lot to me as it is my second journalism reporting summer internship. For the program, I hope to learn more about how professional investigative journalists come up with story ideas, the resources they use to get the information for them, and how they work with data. Two particular skills I would like to learn this summer are how to file FOIAs and some of the basics of data journalism, as these are two things that I will have to do in my journalism program. I also just want to get more professional reporting experience and be able to have some clips to show for it.
Samantha Latson
she/her
News Organization: Washington Post
Hometown: Chicago, IL
School: Indiana University
Major: Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
Being an Ida B. Wells Society intern at The Washington Post means that I have an obligation as a journalist to shed light on wrongdoing, and tell stories that matter. As a Black female reporter, Wells’ legacy is one that I embrace in my desire to give voice to the voiceless and to make a difference through journalism. Having this opportunity will allow me to learn from some of the best investigative journalists so that I can be readily equipped to fulfill my role as an investigative journalist throughout my career.
Sierra Lyons
she/her
News Organization: National Public Radio
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
School: Florida A&M University
Major: Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
As a young journalist, I’m eager to work with and learn from some of the top journalists in the industry as I hone my skills as a reporter and dive deep into stories that I’m passionate about. NPR’s investigative team has done remarkable work uncovering corruption and injustice. I’m grateful that NPR and the Ida B. Wells Society see a need for more journalists of color in investigative journalism and I know that this internship will equip me with the skills I need to make a seismic impact in the industry.
Alyse Martin
she/her
News Organization: Associated Press
Hometown: Powder Springs, GA
School: Howard University
Major: Media Journalism and Film with a minor in Political Science
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
Being offered this internship means the world to me. As a Black woman, I feel like it’s difficult for us to find our way in such a competitive field and I’m grateful to have this opportunity to improve and showcase my skills to get to where I want to be. I hope to gain more exposure, confidence, and professional development after completing this internship. I’m eternally grateful to the IBWS and The Associated Press for this opportunity!
Sasha Ndisabiye
she/her
News Organization: USA Today
Hometown: Upland, CA
School: Langston University
Major: Broadcast Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
I am unbelievably grateful for this internship opportunity and for being a step closer to working in a profession that I feel fits my personality and moral compass. Working with such a prestigious team and publication will allow me to develop invaluable skills and connections within the community. I hope that I’m able to successfully contribute to important investigative pieces and gain the experience to take on these types of projects in the future.
Josh Peck
he/him
News Organization: ProPublica
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
School: The University of Texas at San Antonio
Major: Sociology
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
This internship with ProPublica through the Ida B. Wells Society means a lot to me because it represents my initiation into investigative journalism and validation of the effort I’ve made to serve my community through reporting over the past several years. ProPublica is the gold standard of impact journalism, and I am honored to work with one of the best engagement teams in the industry. I hope I leave ProPublica having meaningfully contributed to exposing abuses of power and betrayals of public trust through sourcing and community engagement and with the skills to continue that work long after.
Albert Serna Jr.
he/him
News Organization: Tampa Bay Times
Hometown: El Monte, CA
School: San Francisco State University
Major: Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
It is a humbling opportunity and validation of hard work and dedication. I hope it will build upon my foundation and allow me to provide a space for accountability and meaningful change.
Alexis Timko
she/her
News Organization: Los Angeles Times
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
School: University of Southern California
Major: Journalism ; Law, History, Culture
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
Having the opportunity to work with an incredible newsroom through this program is a dream come true! I grew up reading and admiring the LA Times and getting to work here feels like the first big step in my career. I hope to contribute to the groundbreaking work the Investigations team does to hold the city and various organizations accountable for their treatment of Angelenos.
Imani Sebri White
she/her
News Organization: ProPublica
Hometown: Austin, TX
School: The City University of New York
Major: Journalism
What does this internship mean to you and what do you hope the impact will be?
Being able to intern at ProPublica as an engagement intern allows me to create journalism that is useful and empowers communities to have conversations about issues that affect them. Through this internship, I hope to strengthen my crowdsourcing, researching, and creating community-driven stories.
