The Los Angeles Times is excited to introduce the Class of 2025 summer interns, continuing a time-honored tradition of training the next generation of multimedia journalists.
The 26 college students and recent graduates arrive to the El Segundo newsroom, starting Tuesday, armed with ideas and vigor. They join The Times from colleges and university across the nation and from here in California. Among the cohort, some have told stories abroad and others have applied their talent to tackle coverage in closer arenas, including in the arts, education, innovation and migration.
They are diverse thinkers and doers. Their background showcases work with policymakers, cancer researchers, entrepreneurs and illustrators. Their assignments now will bring them to all corners of our newsroom, from breaking news to data reporting, from design and photography to arts and entertainment writing.
The interns 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.
Journalism is what binds them. Storytelling in its many forms is what drives them. Please meet them below:
Annie Goodykoontz was born and raised in Phoenix. She is a rising junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, studying journalism. This past year, she was the editor-in-chief of the school’s student newspaper, the Maneater. Last summer, she worked as a breaking news intern at the Arizona Republic, where she discovered her love for community journalism, along with writing about fires, rattlesnake bites, drowning deaths, the monitor lizard and whether it’s OK to pick fruit off a neighbor’s tree. She’s excited to continue this passion as a Fast Break intern this summer at the Los Angeles Times. In her free time, Annie loves to make random playlists, doodle in her reporter’s notebook and go antiquing.
Aspen Anderson recently graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied journalism and psychology. In college, she was a news reporter for the Daily and served as a legislative reporter during the 2024 Washington session, contributing stories to newspapers across the state. She spent last summer reporting for the Bangkok Post, covering same-sex marriage legalization and related policy gaps. Last fall, she interned at the Vashon Beachcomber — one of her hometown papers — covering everything from a thrift store’s role in the global supply chain to a paddleboarding witch parade. Aspen is now a freelancer for the Seattle Times features section, where she writes the How-to-Seattle beat. She’s thrilled to join the features desk on June 24, doing what she loves most: human-centered, impactful reporting.
Avery Fox is a spring 2025 design graduate at the University of Texas at Austin and grew up in Arlington, Texas, as the daughter of two journalists. She has worked previously with the Dallas Morning News as a summer mentee and freelance illustrator, and more recently with Texas Monthly magazine as an art intern. In school, she pursued editorial layout design and printmaking, as well as minors in sociology and arts management and administration. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, exploring nature and escaping into reality TV. She is passionate about enlisting the style and structure of magazine design to better engage and communicate with the reader and is excited to explore this at The Times as a design intern.
Cate Burtner is a recent graduate of Stanford University, where she studied English literature and fell in love with books and storytelling. She wrote and edited for the Stanford Daily and Stanford’s literary magazine, and tutored high school students in humanities classrooms across the bay. Cate has previously interned at San Francisco’s literary festival and a policy nonprofit in Chicago. She is from the Pacific Northwest and is excited to find the best hikes in the L.A. area. In her free time, Cate loves reading, drawing and listening to music. She will be joining the L.A. Times as the entertainment and arts intern in June. @cateburtner
Christopher Buchanan is a recent graduate of UCLA, where he studied English literature. While in college, he worked as a senior reporter for the Daily Bruin where he covered national and state politics, protests and university bureaucracy. Buchanan most recently served as a special projects intern at NBC, following stints at CalMatters and American Banker; the latter as a member of the Dow Jones News Fund. His work has also been featured in Politico and NPR-affiliate stations. He co-founded and serves as editor-in-chief of an online magazine, Bum Diary, which covers a range of mainstream and alternative topics and has been featured in the Riverside Art Museum. He will join The Times as a Fast Break intern.
Diamy Wang is a San Gabriel Valley native and rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania. She is pursuing majors in political science and gender, sexuality and women’s studies, and a minor in Asian American studies. At Penn, she is the executive editor of the Daily Pennsylvanian, the university’s independent student media organization where she worked as a deputy copy editor and the politics desk editor — reporting on the 2024 election, campus activism and federal scrutiny on the school. She was previously an audience engagement intern at the Detroit Free Press through the Dow Jones News Fund. When she’s not in the DP office, she enjoys browsing through stationery stores or looking for a new iced latte flavor. She is excited to join The Times, her hometown paper, as a homepage intern on June 9. @diamywang
Elisha Williams, a natural-born storyteller, is a media enthusiast majoring in digital journalism and communication at the University of Southern Mississippi. Known as “Big Lish,” she is the charismatic host of Southern Miss Says, a man-on-the-street interview show that spotlights student voices with humor and heart. Elisha also writes for the Student Printz, covering campus culture and student life, and serves as chairman of the communications committee within the Student Government Assn., where she advocates for student engagement and campus initiatives. With a passion for audience engagement and creating impactful content, Elisha is thrilled to bring her creativity to The Times’ audience team. @elisha__williams
Fazlur Rahman was a business journalist at the Daily Star, the most widely circulated English-language daily in Bangladesh, before moving to Nevada in fall 2024 to pursue a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is expected to graduate in May 2026. He spent a decade covering topics such as macroeconomy, finance, telecommunications, energy, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Between 2021, when he became deputy business editor, and 2024, he edited major stories for both online and print editions, wrote breaking news, and produced news analysis pieces. He enjoys playing cricket and soccer. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to intern with the business desk at The Times.
Hailey Wang was born and raised in Taiwan and recently earned her master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Before graduate school, she worked as a reporter for a financial magazine in Taiwan for three years, earning two reporting awards. Her beats included business, politics, climate change and culture. She has interned with Bloomberg News and Lookout Santa Cruz, where she told stories through data and interactive maps. Hailey is passionate about uncovering hidden narratives in data sets, especially those tied to underrepresented communities. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you can find her at a local coffee shop or catching the latest film. She is excited to join the data and graphics team on July 7.
Ira Gorawara is a junior at UCLA double majoring in economics and communication with a minor in professional writing. She helmed the Daily Bruin’s award-winning sports section, and reported across Asia for outlets including the South China Morning Post, NDTV, Cricket Hong Kong and Emerging Cricket. She is also the author of “The ABCs of Life,” a short story collection, and is an author for UCLA Blueprint, where she writes on regional and societal issues in Los Angeles. As an Indian born and raised in Hong Kong, she brings a global lens to her storytelling and is thrilled to continue growing her craft with The Times’ sports department starting June 23.
Isabelle Nunes is a rising senior at UC Berkeley, where they study media studies and political science. At the Daily Californian, they served as a deputy news editor and social media editor before being elected as the 2025-2026 staff representative. Last summer, they worked at the Public Policy Institute of California as a digital marketing intern and are now completing their term as an audience development intern for KQED. Outside of the newsroom, Nunes enjoys taking public transportation, reading and scrolling through Pinterest for design inspiration. They are excited to continue their journey in the journalism industry as an audience intern for The Times.
June Hsu is a recent graduate of Pomona College, where she studied public policy analysis and politics. Originally from Kauai, Hawaii, she served as editor-in-chief of the Student Life, the oldest college newspaper in Southern California, after holding roles as managing editor, news editor and news writer. She is a fellow with CalMatters’ College Journalism Network and has interned with Voice of America. June also participated in the Politico Journalism Institute in Washington, D.C. When she’s not editing, you can find her working in a coffee shop, rewatching “Friends” for the 10th time or exploring California beaches — trying not to miss home too much. She’s thrilled to join The Times’ copy desk as a multiplatform editing intern with the Dow Jones News Fund.
Kara Alexander is a rising senior majoring in journalism at Cal State L.A. She works as a multimedia reporter for the University Times, uncovering budget cuts affecting the CSU system — particularly at her campus — analyzing data on food deserts in South Los Angeles and building sources across the city. She has covered Cal State L.A. sports teams during the regular season and postseason, focusing on women’s tennis, men’s baseball and men’s basketball. Most recently, she participated in the news conference for the LAFC game against the San Jose Earthquakes. Kara’s work reflects a strong passion for telling impactful, community-driven stories. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, hiking, roller skating and thrifting. Originally from Hawthorne, she’s excited to stay local — and even more thrilled to sharpen her skills as a sports intern at The Times.
Katerina Portela, raised in Florida and Hawaii, recently graduated from San Diego State University where she was honored as the school’s top journalism undergraduate. She contributed award-winning features coverage to her university newspaper and led the creation of a student-made mini-magazine named Dead Air for the campus radio station. Portela also worked as an investigative news assistant at KPBS, a PBS and NPR affiliate, where she edited audio, researched public databases, handled social media content and wrote investigative articles on regional issues. She enjoys exploring museums, hearing live music, and finding new favorite restaurants. She can’t wait to join The Times as the Image intern and looks forward to diving into L.A.’s vibrant city culture (and its street tacos, of course).
Lauren Harvey is a graduate student at USC studying communication data science. Born and raised in Huntington Beach, she graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with degrees in English and public health. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, uDiscover Music and Fifty Grande magazine. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching yoga sculpt and strength training classes at CorePower Yoga or taking care of her dogs, Odin and Hash Brown. She’s excited to join The Times on the Entertainment and Arts team.
Lauren Ng is a Torrance native and rising junior at New York University studying journalism, food studies, public policy and data science. She’s thrilled to join the Food section at The Times, where she hopes to explore the intersections between food, culture and politics. This fall, Lauren will be the managing editor at the Washington Square News, NYU’s independent student-run newspaper, where she formerly served as the culture editor and dining editor. Lauren has also worked as an editorial assistant at Food Fix, a biweekly newsletter that covers American food policy. When she isn’t writing about good eats, you can find her trying new restaurants around L.A., cooking with her family or shopping at her local Whole Foods.
Luke Johnson is a documentary photojournalist originally from San Diego currently based in Washington, D.C., while he pursues his M.A. in new media and photojournalism at George Washington University. In 2023, he graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in journalism, a B.A. in cinema and television arts and minors in photography and psychology. Previously he has interned for the Gillette News Record, the Seattle Times, the Indianapolis Star, the Kansas City Star and San Diego Magazine. His work has been featured in the Washington Post, the Associated Press, the New York Times, USA Today and Sports Illustrated, among others. He is excited to be back home in Southern California, joining the team as a photojournalism intern.
Lupita Fernandez Garcia is a rising senior at UCLA completing her bachelor’s degree in English while minoring in professional writing. From the Bay Area, her passion for journalism and community representation was unraveled in high school through Mosaic Journalism, where she would go on to publish articles for the Mercury News. Her passion for community building is showcased through her commitment to her Latina-based sorority, Phi Lambda Rho Sorority Inc., aiming to preserve the retention of Latinas in higher education. Her love for creative and communal spaces has manifested into joining The Times as a community engagement intern. Also a fashion and music enthusiast, she is likely to be spotted at any local thrift store listening to rock en Español.
Marcos Magaña was born and raised in the eastern Coachella Valley, a predominantly agricultural desert region in Southern California. He holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from UCLA in urban and regional planning and geospatial information systems, where he focused on issues closely affecting his home community, including environmental justice, spatial inequality and climate vulnerability. He is now pursuing a PhD in environment and sustainability at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, where he investigates the biosocial dimensions of extreme heat exposure in low-income and racialized communities, with a focus on desert geographies. By interning with the environment and health desk, he aims to develop the skills to effectively communicate his research to broader audiences, to make his work more accessible and impactful beyond academic settings.
Niamh Ordner is a senior at Rice University majoring in integrative biology, with research experience in plant molecular biology and computational cancer genomics. She currently works as a science writing intern for Rice’s School of Natural Sciences and serves as a writer and editor for Catalyst, the university’s undergraduate research journal. Whether she’s explaining the purpose of peroxisomal targeting signals or the science behind her favorite sci-fi novels, she is always the happiest when she using her knowledge to spark curiosity in others. This summer, she’s beyond excited to join the Los Angeles Times as a mass media fellow through the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science, sponsored by the American Statistical Assn.
Nicole Macias Garibay is a transborder storyteller and bilingual journalist from the U.S.-Mexico border. She is a recent graduate of Arizona State University in her home state, where she studied journalism. Nicole grew up crossing the border every day to attend school in the U.S. — an experience that fuels her drive to report on migration, Latino culture and the Hispanic community. She wrote for La Voz — The Arizona Republic, interned at Telemundo Arizona and launched VOCES, a bilingual magazine dedicated to telling stories para la comunidad, por la comunidad. The first time she drove into L.A., Nicole told her parents she would work at The Times one day. She’s excited to begin that chapter on June 23 as a De Los intern.
Piper Heath is a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, completing dual degrees in journalism and political science. Currently a lobbying intern at the Nevada Legislature, she previously worked at the Nevadan where she developed expertise in social media strategy and community-focused reporting. She contributed to the New York Times as an election stringer during the 2024 presidential election and reported on culture and politics at the Paris Olympics. Her work includes publishing in the North American Congress on Latin America and interviewing acclaimed author George Saunders. A cold brew connoisseur in her own right, she is beyond excited to start as a business intern on June 9 through a partnership with her university.
Quinae Austin is a first-generation college student and mother from South Central Los Angeles. She holds an associate degree in journalism from Cerritos College and is pursuing a broadcast journalism degree at Cal State L.A. Her experience includes writing for the University Times, the campus student-run newspaper and working at the campus radio station. Passionate about amplifying marginalized voices through various media, Quinae recently self-published a poetry book, “Welcome to my Naeborhood,” exploring themes of identity, resilience and transformation. Her love for writing has also taken her abroad, where she wrote about her time at the University of Durham in England. Through her journalism and creative writing, Quinae aims to elevate underrepresented voices and create meaningful connections. She is excited to join The Times as a community engagement intern on July 7.
Quincy Bowie Jr. is a passionate multimedia journalist and creative nonfiction artist who most often explores the intersections of identity, culture and media in his work. A proud Alabama native, he recently graduated from USC, where he studied journalism and documentary. In his time there, he contributed to the Daily Trojan, USC Annenberg Media and produced multiple documentaries and short films. You can find his previous work at CNN, Spectrum News and Memorías de Nomada. Outside of work, he spends his time looking for good books, honing his craft, and searching for L.A.’s best soul food spot.
Samantha H. Chung is an Angeleno and a recent graduate of Harvard College, where she studied English and East Asian studies. She served as the books executive and editor-at-large for the arts section of the Harvard Crimson, where she developed a passion for cultural criticism and arts reporting. She is also an avid fiction writer and her work has been published in magazines such as Strange Horizons, F&SF and Fusion Fragment. When not writing, Chung can be found figure skating, watching horror movies, or looking at pictures of weird fish. She is thrilled to join The Times as a multiplatform editing intern starting June 9. @samhchung
Zurie Pope was born and raised in southwest Ohio. A former student of the University of Cincinnati, Zurie studied journalism and political science. Zurie’s journalism career started with writing for his high school newspaper. Since then, he has worked for the Nation magazine, the Washington Blade, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Ohio Capital Journal and the university’s student newspaper, the News Record. Throughout his experiences, he has maintained an interest in long-form investigative journalism, focused on money in politics, LGBTQ+ rights and extremism. When he’s not working, Zurie likes to go on long walks, memorize poetry and discover new bookstores. Zurie will be joining The Times on June 9 as an Ida B. Wells Society intern.
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