Youth Radio reporters at the annual Summer Youth Reporting Institute pitch, report, write and produce radio news stories on assignment for broadcast on North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC.
Youth Reporters
Ambrosia DeConto is a rising senior at Durham School of the Arts, with a focus on visual 2D. From a young age, she has always been heavily involved in the arts. She enjoys drawing and music, as well as playing guitar on weekends in a band. Born in New Hampshire, but raised in Durham, Ambrosia is interested in becoming more involved with the LGBT community of Durham, and wants to learn more about it through this journalism program.
Rajeev Dutta is a neuroscience and music double major at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He enjoys spending his time directing and performing in musical ensembles, sharing stories and experiences with his peers, and learning about belief systems. Rajeev is inspired by his supportive family, friends, and teachers to pursue knowledge and serve others, which he hopes to do by continuing his education in medical school and becoming a physician.
Anthony Howard is an incoming senior at Wakefield High School in Raleigh. His love of creative writing and drama have inspired his pursuit of acting and screenwriting. He hopes to attend either New York University or University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill next year. Anthony strives to be politically active within his community and give people of color, especially African Americans, a platform to speak out. Anthony will champion this message -- to diversify American media and create understanding -- while being a youth reporter.
Zara Ameera Khan is a recent graduate from Green Hope High School in Cary, North Carolina. She plans to attend University of Waterloo in Canada. Zara is passionate about writing, journalism, and poetry. Reporting at WUNC will be a opportunity to get her foot in the door and learn about a field she is drawn to. In her free time, Zara enjoys hiking and photography.
Kenzi Patrick is a recent graduate of Orange High School and will attend Virginia Union University in the fall. She plans to major in finance and minor in mass communications and will one day live in either New York or Washington D.C. Kenzi loves to talk and be the center of attention, but she also loves to connect with other people and hear their different ideas as well. Kenzi plans to use her experience as a WUNC youth reporter to help enhance her journalism skills.
Lillian Rao is rising senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School. She enjoys participating in speech and debate at her school and volunteering at a children’s museum called Kidzu. In her freetime, Lilian likes to hang out with her three sisters and go out with her friends. She loves to write and hopes to go to school in New York or Massachusetts to pursue a career in writing, acting, or law.
Emmanuel Tobe is a rising sophomore at Elon University. He is a double major in Journalism and Media Analytics, and a Business minor. This is Emmanuel's third year in the WUNC Youth Reporting Institute. As a reporter he wrote a story about students working to solve the achievement gap at his high school and about "sneakerhead" culture among young adults. This year, Emmanuel is returning to work on social media for the program, the Youth Podcast and to be another mentor for the reporters.
