A look at where past participants in the NEHSJC ended up.
(Research by James Coomey, Tenzin Dorjee, Greg Levinsky, Tristan Alston, and Gabrielly Braga de Oliveria)
Adeel Hassan: After graduating the program in 1994, Adeel went on to work in the New York Times as the Senior Staff Editor. “It gave me first-hand experience that no other teenagers could have,” Adeel said. He also pointed out that because he was able to see and meet real newsmakers, he was given the inspiration to begin his dream. “It’s difficult to want to be a journalist if you’ve never met one, never stepped inside a newsroom, and never covered any newsmakers. All that — and much more — happened in one week, in which you’re essentially trying out a profession. It allowed me to begin to dream.”
Jennifer Mageary: Jennifer is a high school English teacher at Lynn English High School. She attended the program in 2008 and 2009. Through NEHSJC, “[she] learned how to effectively communicate and problem-solve as well as work on my time management skills.”
Mike Carraggi: Mike participated in the program in both 2006 and 2007. He is now the regional manager of MA, NH and RI for patch.com. Carraggi also spent eight years with The Boston Globe. Mike said the program “opened up a lot of doors” for him and his career.
Alex Paduch: Alex attended the program in the summer of 2013 and is now a student at Lyndon State in Vermont. On campus Alex is a full time reporter and producer at news 7, a student run station. Alex said that the program brought him into the digital age, teaching him about microphones and software, while also forcing him to be comfortable with phone calls.
Baylee Wright: After attending the program in 2014, Baylee went on to college at Syracuse University, and majors in International Relations. Since Baylee’s favorite part of journalism is people, she thinks the amazing people she met in the program is the greatest impact on her life.
Tia DiSalvo: Tia, who attended the program in 2014, went on to study abroad in the Jerusalem Post in Tel Aviv, where she helps teach both adults and children to speak English. Tia credits the program for allowing her to find great friends and mentors, while enhancing her journalism skills.
Paige Yurek: Paige just graduated from Regis College, 4 years after her involvement in the program in 2012. She currently works as a receptionist and facilities operations specialist at Wolters Kluwer in Waltham. She said “NEHSJC has got to be one of the best high school programs out there,” and went on to explain that the program helped her fall in love with journalism, and knowing what’s going on around you.
Liz Torres: Liz Torres is a three-year veteran alum of NEHSJC, having attended from 2006-2008. Currently, she works as the editor/editorial operations manager for Monster.com. Torres believes the program “was truly the turning point in [her] life [so she is] forever in debt to NEHSJC and [is] so proud and honored to be a part of its legacy.”
Milton Valencia: Milton went through the program in 1996 and later became a Boston Globe Metro reporter. Milton, who is now president of the NEHSJC, said that the program allowed him to see things in a new way, making him want to explore more.
Alex Corrales: Alex was apart of the group to enter the NEHSJC in 1991. He is currently the Executive Director of the Worcester Housing Authority. He said that when he entered the program people like Carole C. Remick and Leah Lamson made him feel at home in journalism. He said that the program solidified his interest in journalism.
Areej Hassan: Although we were not able to talk with Areej, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention her success. When she graduated the program in 1994, Areej went on to become a Doctor at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical school.