The L.A. Times welcomes its Class of 2024 summer interns
The following announcement was sent on behalf of Assistant Managing Editor for Culture and Talent Angel Jennings and Deputy Editor for Culture and Talent Joseph Serna:
With our company charting its path forward in the digital world, it’s a great opportunity for our newsroom to train the next generation of journalists alongside us.
Be it covering breaking news from the Fast Break desk, shooting photos in the field or editing and designing tomorrow’s A1 and homepage, our staff is among the best in the world at producing daily journalism for a globally connected audience.
This summer, we’re excited to welcome 20 interns from around the globe to work with us in that mission. They were selected from nearly 1,000 applications and through partnerships with Cal State Los Angeles, the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, the NAACP, the Dow Jones News Fund, the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science, and the Asian American Journalists Assn.
They will be joining us remotely and in El Segundo for 10 weeks starting on May 28.
Please join us in welcoming our 2024 summer intern class:
Asia Moore was born and raised in Tallahassee, Fla. She is a rising senior at Florida A&M University, majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in graphic design. Her passion for telling the stories of the public has led her to pursue a career in journalism and visual storytelling. Since matriculating to FAMU, Moore has worked for the university’s official newspaper, the FAMUAN, where she currently serves as the Lead News Editor. She is also a producer for the FAMUTV20 newscast. Moore also dedicates her life to service through various organizations including the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., FAMU Student PIRGs (Public Interest Research Group) and Big Bend Cares, an organization providing resources for individuals living with HIV and AIDS. Moore is also an active member of her church, where she serves on their social media ministry, praise dance team and Mass choir. On her best days, you can find her reading, spending time with friends and family, or playing with her dog, Milo. If you hop in the car with her, she’s probably playing Beyoncé. She is beyond excited to do all of these things in L.A. when she joins the Fast Break team as a Times reporting intern June 24.
Brianna Benitez is a recent first-generation graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she reported and wrote stories centered on culture, cosmetology and mental health. Prior to attending Columbia, the Houston native worked as an audience journalist for news organizations in Connecticut and Texas. Benitez got her start in student media and is a proud alumna of Texas State University, where she earned degrees in public relations and pop culture. She loves Mexican pastries, being a Leo and bike riding on the Golden Gate Bridge. She will join The Times’ digital engagement team. @brianancelestte
Bryan A’Hearn is a cook and writer from Las Vegas. He is currently a student at USC pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and cinema and media studies with help from the James Beard Foundation. He has previously written for Haute Magazine and Eater and served on the Anti-Bias Review Board for Dotdash Meredith, specializing in editing articles at their food publications and providing script coverage for the Webby-nominated Lost Cultures podcast. A’Hearn takes his coffee with cream and Sweet’N Low, and enjoys listening to Leonard Cohen and Dean Blunt. He is joining The Times as a reporting intern with Food.
Daniel Eduardo Hernandez is from the Inland Empire and will graduate from San Francisco State University in December, where he is studying bilingual Spanish journalism. What began as a fascination with taking photos and editing videos grew into a passion for multimedia reporting. Some of his most recent work includes working as the Spanish editor at San Francisco State’s student publication, freelancing for El Tecolote and interning for KQED’s newscast team. As a SoCal native, he is excited to head back down to his hometown to work alongside the De Los team on June 24. @latinidan
Emely Bonilla is a recent graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, where she studied biology and multimedia journalism. During her time at Pomona she was a part of three research teams and wrote for her college paper, the Poly Post. Through her writing, Bonilla hopes to make STEM more accessible and highlight the work of researchers all over the world. Since graduating Bonilla has taken on multiple roles within science communication. She previously interned at the RUNX1 Research Program, a nonprofit organization that provides support for clinicians and patients battling RUNX1-FPD, and spent the spring working as a science educator. Bonilla is eager to join The Times as an opinion/editorial intern.
Grace Xue was born and raised in Beijing, China. She graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., in the summer of 2023 and is pursuing a master’s degree at Northwestern University in journalism with a magazine specialization. Her beat includes arts and culture, health and science, and human interest stories. With a keen interest in stories that reflect the intricacies of culture and interpersonal relationships, Xue has served as a staff writer for her college newspaper and gained valuable experience as a features intern at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Besides writing, Xue is also experimenting with photography and documentary storytelling. She is an avid fan of Studio Ghibli’s anime and board games. As she looks forward to joining the features/lifestyle team as a reporting intern, Xue is eager to immerse herself in the vibrant culinary scene of Los Angeles, exploring good Asian food and dessert shops starting June 24.
Hannah Ly is a recent graduate of San Diego State University, where she studied journalism and marketing. She served as the news editor of the Daily Aztec, the university’s student newspaper. Born in the Bay Area and now living in Southern California, she reported on topics that impact California and beyond. Her dedication to journalism earned her national recognition from the Associated Collegiate Press and the Asian American Journalists Assn. She is a foodie who loves exploring new dining spots and makes a mean BLT. She joins The Times on the multiplatform editing desk June 24 through the Dow Jones News Fund program and is excited to explore all that the city has to offer.
Helen Quach is a recent graduate of UCLA, where she studied computer science and digital humanities. She was born and raised in Southern California and loves discovering new trends in graphic design. At UCLA, she served as the design director of the Daily Bruin, the student newspaper. Her work for the Daily Bruin has been recognized by the Associated Collegiate Press and the College Media Assn. In her free time, she enjoys completing crossword puzzles, listening to music and collecting scraps of paper for her collages. She is excited to join The Times as a design intern June 24.
Jack Maurer recently graduated from the University of Alabama, where he earned a master’s in economics and a bachelor’s in economics and mathematics. He served on the staff of the university’s campus newspaper, the Crimson White, during all four years of college. His two years as the paper’s chief copy editor nurtured a passion for making stories as clear, accurate and interesting as possible. Much of his spare time is spent running, constructing crosswords and solving word puzzles of all kinds. He’s thrilled to join The Times as a multiplatform editing intern June 24.
Jasmine “Jaz†Mendez is a San Fernando Valley local, born and raised. She is the daughter of immigrant parents and has two brothers. She is a recent graduate of Cal State Northridge, where she studied political science and Spanish-language journalism. Mendez has covered union strikes, local elections and student demonstrations. She was the managing editor, opinions editor and a video reporter for the Daily Sundial. She interned at NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52. Her written work is featured on La Opinion and El Nuevo Sol. She joins The Times on June 24 as a reporting intern for the Metro desk. IG: @jazmendzz
Kayla Hayempour is a Los Angeles native and a rising senior at UCLA studying public affairs and digital humanities. She is a passionate advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights and has a strong background in the nonprofit sector. She has spearheaded impactful national and international menstrual equity campaigns, ensuring access to period products and education for all. Hayempour expresses her genuine love of media and journalism as a podcast contributor for the Daily Bruin, a writer for Order of Magnitude Los Angeles and a former writer for BruinLife. She firmly believes that inclusive and accessible news media is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy and is excited to share this passion with her hometown as a community engagement intern starting June 24. When she’s not working, you can find her baking, solving a crossword puzzle or on a plane to a new travel destination.
Kimberly Aguirre is a rising senior at USC, where she is studying journalism. She has spent the entirety of her time at USC working for the Daily Trojan, the student newspaper, holding the titles of arts and entertainment editor and associate managing editor. She currently serves as the paper’s editor in chief. She is originally from the Bay Area. When she is not writing, she enjoys doing crosswords, watching stand-up comedy, playing cozy games and exploring new bookstores. She is beyond excited to be joining The Times as an entertainment and arts intern.
Marcos Franco was born and raised in Los Angeles and has lived throughout the San Fernando Valley, where he first began covering news at the Valley Star. His love for writing led him to journalism, eventually landing leadership roles in student media at his community college and current university, Cal State L.A. His work as a community news reporter had been picked up by local news outlets like Eastsider LA, and he later interned as an entertainment reporter at IndieWire. He established a beat in Latino/a news and feature story coverage working as a freelance reporter for Caló News. Franco has also covered numerous stories on homelessness and has worked investigative stories with colleagues that have been picked up by Knock LA. On his best days, he can be found celebrating a win at Dodger Stadium or listening to comedy podcasts while cooking. He’s excited to join the De Los team at The Times on June 24.
Marissa Kraus was raised in Columbia, Mo., and will graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May with a degree in journalism. At Nebraska, she started her journalism career taking photos and writing for the Daily Nebraskan, the college’s student-run newspaper. During her sophomore year, she was accepted into the Sports Journalism Institute, which earned her a summer internship with the Denver Post, where she wrote for the sports desk. It was during this experience that she fell in love with sportswriting, particularly human interest stories. Since then she has interned for the Omaha World-Herald, the Nebraska Golf Assn. and this year has had the pleasure of serving as an assistant sports editor for the Daily Nebraskan. Having never been to the West Coast, she looks forward to exploring new places, finding the best hiking trails and joining L.A.’s running community. She is beyond excited to join The Times as a sports intern.
Neenma Ebeledike is a multi-talented journalist, voice-over artist, video spokesperson and content writer with a journey that started at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, where she graduated as valedictorian. She has collaborated with numerous notable media organizations, showcasing her versatility and dedication to storytelling. Currently a first-year graduate student at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Ebeledike continues to pursue excellence in journalism. On her best days, you can find her reading, listening to music, writing poems or watching documentaries. She’s excited to join The Times as an investigative reporting intern starting June 24.
Nicolas Diaz-Magaloni studies media arts and practice at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is a Chicano filmmaker and visual artist interested in immersive forms of storytelling. He is fascinated with the intersection of art and technology, creating video art, virtual reality films, and documentaries. He joins The Times as its Image intern.
Noah Haggerty recently graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in applied physics with a minor in journalism. His lifelong obsession with understanding the universe has led him to explore science both as a communicator and a practitioner. He studies plasma — the stuff that makes up the sun, lightning and Hollywood’s neon signs — and the technology that uses it, from spacecraft thrusters to nuclear fusion energy plants. When he’s not in the lab, he reports on research happening at the intersection of clean energy technology, physics and the environment. At Northeastern, he served as editor in chief of the university’s student-run science magazine, wrote for the student newspaper and covered science for other local publications. He is thrilled to join The Times on June 10 as an AAAS Mass Media fellow, supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation, and help shed light on the science shaping Southern California. @nohaggerty
Sandra McDonald of Ocala, Fla., is a 2024 graduate of the University of Florida college of journalism and communications, where she covered everything from hurricanes to higher education for the school’s NPR affiliate station and Fresh Take Florida, its news service focused on statewide coverage. Trading one sunny state for another, McDonald is excited to check out the Los Angeles karaoke scene, read on the beach and try all the Cal-Mex she can take. She’s excited to join The Times as a Fast Break desk intern.
Veronica Roseborough is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied media, the legal system and their intertwinement. Her reporting can be found in the San Francisco Examiner, the Hill and most often in the Daily Californian, UC Berkeley’s student-run newspaper. She has also had the opportunity to work with writers incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison, which forced her to think critically about how journalists like herself report on crime and public safety. When she’s not reporting, Roseborough can be found scouting out the best cafe, listening to her latest album fixation on repeat or trying and failing to re-create an Instagram Reels recipe. She intends to pursue a career examining the legal system through journalism and is elated to begin that journey as a reporting intern on the Metro desk starting June 24.
Zoë Cranfill was born and raised in a small town outside Cincinnati, Ohio. This fall, she will graduate from Ohio University’s school of visual communication with a degree in photojournalism and a minor in commercial photography. Her love for adventure and storytelling led her to Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure camp in New Mexico, as a photographer and journalist over the past two summers. She is involved in executive capacities for multiple organizations at her college, including photo editor for the Post Athens and president of the Ohio chapter of the National Press Photographers Assn. She is excited to learn more from the talented visual journalists at The Times as the visual journalism intern. @zoecranfill
