POLITICO Journalism Institute announces 2023 Class

POLITICO has announced the 2023 class of the POLITICO Journalism Institute (PJI), an intensive training program designed to advance newsroom diversity.

The 10-day program for undergraduate and graduate students offers hands-on training for students interested in sharpening their skills at the largest politics- and policy-focused newsroom in the nation. POLITICO is pleased to share the students that emerged from an outstanding and competitive applicant pool impressing the selections committee with their strong journalism skills, entrepreneurial spirit and unique contributions to newsroom diversity.

“We’re very excited to welcome this latest cohort to the PJI program," said Joe Schatz, executive editor, platforms and operations, at POLITICO. "We’ve been doing this program for a decade and every year it gets better and better. This is shaping up to be our strongest class yet."

Programming for PJI includes interactive workshops, sessions with industry leaders and mentor pairings. It also takes participants behind the scenes in the historic locations where news is made, including the White House, Congress and the National Press Club.

“PJI is a valuable entry point for aspiring journalists,” said Sam Fulwood III, dean of the American University’s School of Communication. “It’s has been a great privilege for our school to be a decade-long partner in this worthy endeavor.”

"The Maynard Institute is proud to be a founding and continuing partner in the POLITICO Journalism Institute as it increases opportunities for students who represent a cross-section of this country and the full range of its colleges and universities," said Evelyn Hsu, institute co-executive director. "Congratulations to our alums and partners on this 10th anniversary."

Participants split time between the POLITICO newsroom in Arlington, Virginia, and American University, where they also are provided housing. Some participants will also report from POLITICO’s bureaus in Sacramento, California, and New York City.

POLITICO Journalism Institute’s 2023 Class

Based in Washington, DC

Punya Bhasin – University of Pittsburgh

Monica Carrillo-Casas – University of Idaho

Leah Clark- Xavier University of Louisiana

Kate Corliss – American University

Rocio Fabbro – New York University

Olivia Gyapong - University of Missouri

Rachel Hale – University of Wisconsin

Jaqueline Hernandez – University of Richmond

Melina Khan - Quinnipiac University

Simon Levien – Harvard University

Ayah Mahana – George Washington University

Ifeoluwa Olatona – Howard University

Juan Pablo Lopez - University of Central Florida

Daryl Perry – University of Maryland

Keara Shannon – University of Missouri

Kacie Yamamoto – University of Southern California (USC)

Based in California

Annie Bang – University of Southern California (USC)

Saliha Bayrak – University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Layla Brown Clark – DePauw University

Forest Hunt – Evergreen State College

Based in New York

Kyla Guilfoil – Manhattan College

Meghana Kakubal – New York University

Tori Morales Pinales – New York University

John Underhill - University of Massachusetts at Amherst