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The Texas Tribune proudly welcomes 10 talented fellows this summer, a cohort of students and recent graduates from a variety of disciplines who will bring unique perspectives and heartfelt dedication to journalism and the people of Texas.
Many have navigated life's challenges head-on in pursuit of their dreams, and their stories are as inspiring as their work. From documenting the world through a lens to uncovering data-driven narratives, our fellows are poised to make powerful contributions across our organization.
Photography fellow Ronaldo Bolaños is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington who said curiosity about the world led him to journalism as a profession.
“I became enamored with photography at 14. I used to steal my sister’s phone to take pictures of just about anything, dreaming of the day I owned a camera to document the world just like the photos I obsessed over. As a Latino kid growing up in the inner city of Dallas, photography was my chance to see worlds beyond my neighborhood,” Bolaños said. “As I look forward to the future, I try to hold onto that feeling of when I first picked up a camera — a 14-year-old who's [curious] to see the world through the lens. Photography has allowed me to dream bigger than my reality — it has given me wings.”
Data visuals fellow Edison Wu said he’s motivated in large part by his humble upbringing.
“I grew up in a single-parent family in a poverty-stricken county in Anhui, China, and I’m the first in my family to attend college. Moving from a rural area to Beijing and now to the U.S. — my challenging journey taught me to take risks and push beyond my boundaries,” Wu said. “It has also helped me deeply appreciate the complexity of different societies, observe their subtleties, and capture the stories of all kinds of people with empathy.”
The Tribune offers paid fellowship opportunities for college students who make impactful contributions across the organization. These students support vital initiatives like the Texas Tribune Festival and provide in-depth coverage of key issues, including the legislative session, elections, education, and the environment.
"We’re consistently floored by the amazing journalism and organizational support each new class of fellows brings to the Tribune,” said Brandon Formby, managing editor for news and state affairs. “The program provides students and recent graduates with real-world experience in a robust news agency. Yet The Tribune benefits greatly from the stellar work, fresh energy and varied perspectives of the fellows."
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Events fellow and Huston-Tillotson University senior Adrey Otto said she connects with the Tribune’s mission to inform and engage with the state’s residents.
“I’m eager to be a part of the mission to empower Texans, using civic information and investigative journalism to improve lives across the state,” Otto said.
As a product fellow, Angelica Ruzanova will have the chance to chart the course of journalism’s future.
“The fellowship at The Texas Tribune will allow me to apply my knowledge of emerging technology in ways that preserve the power of journalists to document our world in impactful ways,” said Ruzanova, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. “I see journalism as a space for innovation as our world undergoes a radical shift in how newsrooms function. As an immigrant and first-generation student in an American university, I see it as an opportunity to make information accessible to readers of all walks of life.”
Our fellowships offer a valuable learning experience, combining part-time work during the spring and fall semesters with full-time summer positions. We offer a diverse range of roles, including:
- Data Visuals
- Engagement
- AI & Machine Learning
- Events
- Marketing & Communications
- Photography
- Product Development
- Production Design
- Reporting (in Texas and Washington, D.C.)
Learn more about the Tribune's fellowship program and explore the impressive work of our current fellows here.
The Tribune's fellowship program is made possible by the generous support of our donors. We extend our sincere gratitude to organizations like the Dallas Press Club Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation and individuals like Martin Taylor and Cheryl and Jim George, whose contributions have established named fellowships and significantly expanded opportunities for aspiring journalists.
“I am motivated by my desire to improve my skills, contributing to a greater purpose, building relationships, and giving back to my family, friends and community,” said Engagement fellow Journee Strode, a senior communications major at Prairie View A&M University.
Reporting fellow Owen Dahlkamp, a Brown University senior, will work alongside the Tribune’s Washington correspondent to cover the Texas congressional delegation in the U.S. House and Senate and the biggest Texas news from the nation’s capital this summer.
“I am studying neuroscience and political science simply because I am curious about both,” Dahlkamp said. “In many ways, journalism is the perfect fit for someone like me with an insatiable desire to learn.”
Marketing and Communications fellow Christopher Lopez, a junior at UT-Austin, used the power of marketing as a high schooler when he helped his mom promote her small business on social media.
“I am motivated by creating, and I hope to put my motivation to use by developing information that benefits others,” Lopez said. “I'm interested in working at The Texas Tribune because I admire how it’s a news organization by Texans, for Texans.”
Meet our summer fellows:
Hayden Betts will be an Austin-based summer reporting fellow. He has reported on the criminal legal system for The Appeal and The American Prospect and recently covered health, housing and politics in the South Bronx for the Mott Haven Herald. Hayden is studying local accountability reporting at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and earned a bachelor’s degree in the history of science from Harvard University. He grew up in Pasadena, California.
Ronaldo Bolaños will be a Dallas Press Club Foundation fellow. He graduated this month from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor's degree in photography and a minor in Mexican-American studies. He has served as the multimedia editor at The Shorthorn, the campus student-run newspaper. Bolaños was born and raised in Dallas and enjoys history and connecting with people and places unfamiliar to him.
Owen Dahlkamp will be a Washington, D.C.-based reporting fellow covering political developments that affect Texans in the nation's capital. Hailing from San Diego, California, Owen is a junior at Brown University, majoring in political science and cognitive neuroscience. He is the managing editor of the Brown Daily Herald, the campus newspaper, and his reporting has appeared in CNN, the Nation, NPR and more.
Atirikta Kumar will be an Austin-based Sid W. Richardson Foundation reporting fellow. She graduated this month from the University of Houston with degrees in journalism and political science and minors in English and history. Atirikta previously interned for Community Impact and at NPR’s Houston affiliate station. She also worked as the community assistant editor for her campus newspaper, The Cougar. Atirikta is fluent in Hindi and hails from Nacogdoches. She loves to read in her free time, find new coffee shops and cheer on her favorite sports teams: the NHL’s Boston Bruins and Formula One’s Ferrari.
Christopher Lopez will be a marketing and communications fellow based in Austin. He is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in management information systems with a marketing minor. He is the vice president of communications for TEDxUTAustin. Previously, he was a digital marketing intern for UT Recreational Sports. Originally from Houston, Christopher enjoys film photography, discovering new coffee shops and concerts.
Adrey Otto will be an Austin-based events fellow. A senior biology major at Huston-Tillotson University, Adrey has worked as a community-engaged researcher for the Del Valle Community Coalition and the Excellence and Advancement Foundation and as a bioinformatics researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. In her research and as a campus You're Not Alone Fellow, Audrey has worked to address issues, develop solutions and have a positive impact on her community.
Angelica Ruzanova will be an Austin-based product fellow. She graduated this month from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's in journalism and a minor in leadership in global sustainability. Angelica was an AI Fellow at the UT Media Innovation Group, developing tools to enhance journalists' reach and impact. Originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Angelica is fluent in Russian and enjoys philosophy and playing drums.
Journee Strode will be an Austin-based engagement fellow. She is a senior communications major with a minor in Spanish at Prairie View A&M University and plans to go to graduate school to obtain her master's degree before pursuing a career in the TV/ film industry. Journee is the news director of campus station KPVU-TV and president of the PVAMU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Journee enjoys acting, singing, playing video games and volunteering in her spare time.
Edison Wu will be an Austin-based data visualization fellow. A graduate student pursuing a master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, he previously interned at the California Reporting Project. Originally from China, Edison worked as an international news editor at Beijing News before transitioning to data journalism. He's passionate about data visualization, analysis and web design, and he is a huge basketball fan.
Jessica Shuran Yu will be a reporting fellow based in Austin. She graduated with honors and a master’s in journalism this month from the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, where she covered a variety of beats, including education, health care, and gender-based violence for Columbia News Service and her master's thesis. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Fordham University, where she freelanced sports stories for The Guardian US and reported for her campus newspaper, The Observer. Her reporting also has been published in Documented NY. Before studying journalism, Jessica was a competitive figure-skater for more than a decade. She speaks Mandarin.
First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Information about the authors
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Andy Alford
Director of Recruitment, Training and Career Development
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