An intern with the Ida B. Wells Society’s inaugural investigative internship program is the latest recipient of the Best of States award from the Associated Press.
Roselyn Romero began her summer investigative internship with the Ida B. Wells Society and The Associated Press only 10 weeks ago and was recognized on Friday – her last day with the AP – for her piece on the concerns of counterfeit vaccine cards among college officials.
The piece was Romero’s first AP byline and has since been picked up by numerous news outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, The Huffington Post and Romero’s hometown paper, the Ventura County Star. As a response to Romero’s reporting, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a multiagency campaign to explicitly state that forging cards could result in federal prison time. He also asked the Justice Department to prioritize fake vaccine card cases.
The Best of the States award is announced weekly to recognize the depth and breadth of AP’s state-based journalism. The winner is selected from nominations and is open to all AP staffers and contributors. In addition to the honor, the internal award comes with a $300 prize.
Romero, a senior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, was selected among hundreds of applicants to be one of seven investigative interns with the Ida B. Wells Society. She began her appointment with AP on June 14.
On her last day, Romero tweeted of the experience: “Growing up with Filipino immigrant parents, I never could have imagined my words would be featured on @washingtonpost, @HuffPost, @NPR and more.”
