BER-26 Class
Entering September 2024
Julaiza Alvarez graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University in 2023. As a contributing writer, she wrote features, op-eds, and profiles of Black women-owned businesses and their founders as well as the entertainment business and social justice. Her work was published in Black Enterprise, REMEZCLA, and YR Media. Previously, she interned at CNNE as an Associate Producer Intern producing three Spanish-speaking news programs and worked at Forbes Media as an editorial intern creating evergreen social media content. She was also the first TV/News intern for the Creative Artists Agency, supporting clients and creating visibility for prospective Black talent. Recently, she was a Production Assistant for the CNN 9p primetime show, “The Source With Kaitlan Collins. Julaiza wants to cover Minority owned start-ups, venture capital funds and the beauty and fashion retail market. In her free time, she enjoys watching crime documentaries. Julaiza is a citizen of the United States. Portfolio
Jessica Brand graduated with honors from the University of York with a B.A. in music in 2004. She spent two years working in Westminster as a researcher and press secretary for a UK Member of Parliament. In 2006, Jessica moved to Washington D.C. where she has lived and worked since, taking on progressively senior policy communications roles. Jessica’s communications career includes working as a consultant to the World Bank and nearly seven years on staff at World Resources Institute where she focused on the nexus between the economy and the environment, including issues such as energy, industry, transport, agriculture and climate mitigation. In future, she hopes to cover these issues as a journalist. Jessica lives in D.C. with her husband, two children and one dog. She enjoys movies, train travel and the sea. Jessica is a citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Ceylan Ersoy is a 2020 Magna Cum Laude graduate of UC Berkeley with a BA in Psychology. Her passion for social media and journalism led to a senior year internship at NBC and multiple freelance roles producing social media content for startups. After graduation, Ceylan returned to Turkey and worked at Harvard Business Review, launching and developing its social media channels. Later, she moved to New York to join Brut Media in a digital content and strategy role, further deepening her expertise in business new media. Ceylan has been working for VaynerMedia for the past year, focusing on creative content and brand storytelling. She plans to leverage the NYU BER program to further her career as a business journalist, using new media to write compelling narratives. Ceylan is a citizen of Turkey. Twitter | Portfolio
Isabela Fleischmann graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from UEL – State University of Londrina in 2018. She also earned a postgraduate degree in Communication and Political Culture from the same institution in 2019. In 2022, she started working as a reporter at Bloomberg Línea, covering startups, technology and venture capital in Latin America, as well as hosting the podcast “Sucessores” (Successors). She was also a temporary assistant to Financial Times reporters in Brazil and worked at LABS (Latin America Business Stories) within fintechs EBANX and Folha de Londrina. She was a trainee for Estadão’s Business Journalism program where she covered the Covid-19 Omicron. She is interested in data journalism and started studying the subject at Insper in 2021. Outside of journalism, Isabela volunteers teaching English remotely to underprivileged Brazilian children through the NGO Cidadão Pró-Mundo. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Isabela is a citizen of Brazil.
Monish Gangwani, holds a Master of Commerce in Management from the University of Mumbai. A senior tech marketing leader, he works at Microsoft and leads marketing programs around AI and cloud adoption. A former journalist and filmmaker turned marketing professional, his early stint as a journalist led him to become a content entrepreneur long before social media existed. His start-up provided communications strategy consultation and created corporate newsletters for various companies. His clientele included tech companies and the association led him to a global career in marketing at Microsoft. He is passionate about customer data privacy in the age of AI. As he moves back into journalism, Monish is most curious about storytelling that creates meaningful change globally. His independent short films have screened at film festivals worldwide. A certified mindfulness meditation teacher, in his personal time, he enjoys spending time with his friends, yoga, long walks, and discovering vegan options at restaurants. Monish is a citizen of the United States.
Judy Lagrou graduated from Harvard University with an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration, after earning a B.A. in American Studies from Stanford University. She is currently an Editorial Intern at CNBC for the 2024-2025 academic year. Before joining the BER program, Judy built a successful career in finance with roles at global firms such as Morgan Stanley and Morningstar. While on Wall Street, Judy earned four FINRA licenses (Series 7, 52, 63, and 79). She has also passed Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam. In her free time, Judy studies and performs comedy, gracing the stages of theaters such as The Second City, Magnet Theater, and Upright Citizens Brigade. She enjoys using observational humor and social commentary to captivate and engage diverse audiences. Judy is a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria. LinkedIn. Website.
Youming (Esther) Lu graduated with a B.F.A. in Apparel Design from Rhode Island School of Design. She began her career as a headhunter for hedge fund clients D. E. Shaw and Citadel before transitioning to a role in HR and business development at a leading hedge fund. She has interviewed major players in many industries including financial services, and finds it fascinating to examine the patterns behind stories. Currently, Esther authors a monthly newsletter on financial recruiting and market trends, sharing detailed industry analysis with over 19,000 subscribers. She is passionate about freedom of speech and is dedicated to uncovering complex financial stories. Outside of her professional life, she has spent years immersed in comedy improv, enjoying good humor by digging deeper into topics. She is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and conversational in Russian and French. She is a citizen of China and a permanent resident of the United States.
Nino Paoli graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in Journalism from Oregon State University in 2023. His love for journalism blossomed when joining OSU’s student newspaper, The Daily Barometer, his senior year, where he covered student government decisions such as student fee increases. He was voted by his editors at the paper as the 2023 Most Valuable Person. As a University of Oregon Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism Fellow, he worked at a local newspaper in Eastern Oregon after graduation. He was also an editorial intern at Marketplace, the business and economics news podcast heard on national public radio. His mission is to unveil the effects of economic policy and legislation and dissect their disparate consequences based on a person’s socioeconomic status. He enjoys playing soccer. Born in Medellín, Colombia, and raised in Missoula, Montana, Nino is a citizen of the United States. Portfolio.
Aparajita Shukla graduated from the University of Lucknow in 2022 with a PhD in English after earning her B.A. and M.A. there. An ardent scholar, her thesis explored the prevalent folktales and performances in Uttarakhand. She studied oral traditions as intrinsic to broader expressive traditions in South Asia. During her field work she extensively interviewed people in marginalized communities and documented their lives at the periphery, developing a keen interest in understanding economic policies and their impact on existing healthcare and social structures of power. She has worked as an English Lecturer (Ad Hoc) at Lucknow Christian Degree College, where she taught SAARC literature, postcolonialism and American literature to students at the graduate and postgraduate level. At NYU, she wants to learn about important economic and financial trends, and she aspires to become a foreign news correspondent. She is fluent in English and Hindi and conversational in Bengali. Aparajita is a citizen of India.
Nathaniel Wolf graduated with high distinction from the University of Virginia in 2018 with a B.A. in Political Philosophy, Policy & Law. As a student, he copyedited for The Daily Cavalier and a political science journal, produced documentaries for a local culture magazine and covered professional sports and sports business across print and audio platforms. Since graduating, Nate has worked in Washington, D.C. and New York as a communications consultant for nonprofits, major financial institutions and foreign embassies. He most recently managed media outreach at data and research firm Morning Consult, leading economics-focused media partnerships with Axios and Bloomberg News—an experience that solidified his interest in business reporting and led him to NYU. As a journalist, he hopes to cover the labor market and shifting dynamics between employers and workers. Nate enjoys reading, cooking and producing music in his spare time. He is a proud Maine native and a citizen of the United States.
BER-25 Class
Entering September 2023
Rhea Basarkar is a 2023 Bachelor of Business Administration graduate from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, where she also pursued a minor in Digital Studies. During her undergraduate years, she was a producer for the flagship news podcast for The Michigan Daily. She has also held roles as a Media Assistant for the U-M Digital Studies Institute and as a Partnerships and Communications Coordinator at the technology-focused non-profit, Women in Cloud. She interned at Deloitte Consulting in its Human Capital Strategy group, working there for a Fortune 500 technology company. As a journalist, she hopes to leverage her educational and professional experiences to cover topics related to business, technology, digital culture, and social impact. Rhea enjoys boxing, poetry, travel, and a wide variety of music. Born and raised in the Silicon Valley in California, she is a citizen of the United States.
Araceli Crescencio, a first-generation college student, graduated cum laude from Pepperdine University in May 2019, with a B.A. in Journalism and a Minor in Economics. During college, she interned at CNBC and worked as a reporter and producer for her university’s local newscast, NewsWaves 32. She received Pepperdine’s Outstanding Journalism Graduate Award given to only one student yearly. After graduating, Araceli worked as a producer and reporter for WLNS in Lansing, Michigan. She also helped launch and served as the co-host of the first Spanish-language news podcast, ‘¿Qué Onda Michigan? ’in East Lansing, Michigan. An award winning journalist, she recently worked as a bilingual reporter for NewsChannel 5, in Nashville, Tennessee. Araceli is passionate about sharing stories highlighting communities often overlooked and is excited to dive deeper into data-driven reporting. You can keep up with Araceli’s work on social media @aracelireports. Araceli is a citizen of the United States.
Makailah A. Gause, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Media, Journalism and Film and a minor in Community Development from Howard University in 2023. She was Chief Editor and Vice President of Her Campus: Howard, was the co-anchor for a student run newscast, NewsVision, broadcasting to 2.5 million viewers, and founded B.E.S.T. You Programming, a 501(c)(3) organization mentoring marginalized youth. She was a Podcast Production Apprentice for a Spotify sponsored podcast, wrote financial literacy articles for The Points Guy, worked as an Associate Producer for SiriusXM and interned at Bloomberg TV as a Booking Producer. A member of NABJ and a Hearst Award Nominee, Makailah wants to cover economic and equality issues such as the racial wealth gap, the racial homeownership gap and the gender pay gap. She is a 2023 NABJ-Reuters Fellow. She enjoys trying new foods and working out. Raised in Atlanta, GA, Makailah is a citizen of the United States. Portfolio
Veronica Irwin graduated Magna Cum Laude from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a B.A. in Media Studies. In the years since she has written for a wide variety of media organizations including Protocol, Fast Company, The San Francisco Examiner and SF Weekly. Her most recent work focused on credit and lending, which she views as a powerful vehicle for expanding financial access for those who are financially marginalized. Before covering credit, she wrote about the tech sector more broadly, including executive leadership, the gig economy, and venture capital. She was recently awarded the National Press Club Feldman Fellowship, the Anne O’Hare Memorial Scholarship, and San Francisco Press Club awards for Best Profile in a Daily Paper and News Story in a Non-Daily Paper. In her free time, Veronica is a proud crazy cat lady and house plant aficionado. To review her digital portfolio, visit veronicairwin.com. Veronica is a United States citizen.
Samantha Kroontje graduated with honors from Western University in 2022 with a B.A. in Media, Information, & Technology and a certificate in Digital Communications. During her studies at Western, Samantha contributed to her faculty’s culture and lifestyle magazine while writing for environmental publication Alternatives Journal, where she focused on interviews with legislators and activists. After graduating, she continued working as an environmental reporter, expanding her work as a writer, editor, and graphics lead. This past year, Samantha worked in public relations, creating relationships with companies in the strategic minerals industry. She channeled the current atmosphere in business and politics to pitch timely stories to Canadian media outlets and coordinate interviews for her clients. She is excited to expand her knowledge base in international affairs and financial journalism at NYU. In her free time, she is working to obtain her Private Pilot License and learn Spanish. Samantha is a citizen of Canada.
Bingzhi (Icey) Li graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2023 with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She first became interested in journalism after serving as a volunteer at Beijing Shi Jia Hutong Museum, where she learned how media, including press reports and documentaries, can explore in depth the adverse effects of gentrification and advocate for cultural preservation. She found her path to business journalism through various activities on campus. As a member of the Michigan China Forum, she researched, translated, edited, and published global Covid-19 news on the club’s official website during the pandemic. During her internships as an equity research analyst and a sales and trading analyst, she became familiar with the financial industry by building valuation models and drafting research reports. She enjoys playing Bridge, swimming, and diving in her spare time. Bingzhi is a citizen of China.
Olivia Royle is a 2020 graduate of Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College with a B.A. in Digital and Print Journalism and a minor in Spanish. During her time in school, she was a part of the Daily Collegian’s multimedia team, responsible for filming and reporting on campus events, and had her work published in various local outlets. Following graduation, she interned with New York-based TV production company Watt Pictures, where she worked on casting campaigns for Netflix, HGTV, and other major networks. She continued working in television as a production assistant for Manhattan Productions. Since early 2022, she has been an editor for Static Media, primarily focused on food and home content. Her passion for writing and research has made pursuing a career and journalism a longtime goal, and she credits moving to New York City for her growing interest in business and tech reporting. Olivia is a citizen of the United States.
Mileva Sapic is a first-generation college student who graduated with a double major from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL in 2023 with a BBA in Business Management & Organizational Behavior and a BA in Writing and Publishing. Mileva earned dean’s list for three academic years and served as both president and treasurer of the student body. Born in Serbia, she immigrated to the United States at five years old with her parents and brother, and ever since felt the passion to express herself and her experiences through writing. She wrote articles about student life for the school newspaper, and now is studying at NYU in preparation to write about important developments in the economy. She is fluent in Serbian and English and studied Spanish for four years. Her personal interests include reading, going to the gym, playing sports, and traveling. Mileva is a dual citizen of the United States and Serbia.
Jingyan Wang (Vivi) graduated from Beijing Technology and Business University in 2023, with a B.A. in Journalism on the business reporting track. Since her childhood, she has had an enormous passion for broadcasting. She worked at Reuters Beijing Bureau as an intern on the economy team. There, she monitored macroeconomic data such as GDP, PPI, and land sales on the mainland of China and interviewed people from diverse backgrounds. The internship ignited her passion for business and economics journalism and she is thrilled to continue pursuing it through her graduate studies. Jingyan hopes to cover macroeconomic trends as well as mergers and acquisitions in the future. As a native of Beijing, she is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese as well as English. She has studied French and German since high school. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, reading, and playing the piano. She is a citizen of China.
BER-24 Class
Entered September 2022
William Bennett graduated from St Edmunds College, Cambridge University in 2022 with a Master of Public Policy. As a student he focused specifically on energy policy, writing his major thesis on the topic of hydrogen geopolitics while working as an intern at a London policy thinktank, where he published articles on the energy transition in the British media. Prior to attending Cambridge, Will studied a Master of Energy Systems at Trinity College, University of Melbourne before working for several years as an energy consultant at one of the Big Four. Will found his passion for writing during the extended lockdowns in Australia and was successfully published as a freelance writer in several leading Australian newspapers on the topics of markets and the rise of the retail investor. Will’s interests in business and finance journalism are focused on equity and energy markets. His other interests include cinema and rowing. Will is a proud Aussie citizen.
Diana Bravo graduated from Emerson College (Boston, MA) Cum Laude in May, 2022 with a B.S. in Journalism with minors in Political Science and Fiction. Additionally, she participated in Columbia Journalism School’s Lede Program in Summer 2022. While studying at Emerson, she completed two six month co-ops at the Boston Globe’s metro and local desks, where she wrote bylined stories covering news around the city and its suburbs. One story noted the reduction in respiratory illnesses among young children that evidently resulted from the safeguards used to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a business journalist, Diana has been drawn to stories about local businesses and enjoys probing into financial issues, which she intends to pursue at NYU. She has a strong interest in data journalism and enjoys skiing and ice skating in her spare time. She is also a dual citizen of the United States and Spain.
Silin Chen graduated with honors from the University of Sheffield in 2020 with an M.A. in Journalism. Prior to her postgraduate studies, she graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the New York Institute of Technology. There, she interned at multiple media platforms, including newspapers, magazines, TV, social media, and websites. Following her graduation, Silin worked as a market reporter for an independent financial media that specializes in the investment industry. She published nearly 100 articles and achieved over 1.5 million views within one year. She is especially passionate about Metaverse, digital banks, cryptocurrencies, and electric vehicles. Outside of her work, Silin is also concerned about gender equality in newsrooms and hopes to become a good guitar player. Silin is a citizen of China.
Yifan (Lyla) Du graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen in 2022 with a B.A. degree in Translation. She was placed on the Dean’s List for two academic years, 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. In 2021, she interned at CCTV+, CCTV Video News Agency in China. There, she was responsible for daily news selection, drafting of scripts, and video editing. She started to translate economic news for the business partners of her mother in high school. It was through this experience that she developed a passion for business and economic reporting. When in-person internships became impossible due to the lockdown in Shanghai, she took online courses such as the Reuters Digital Journalism course. Besides journalism, she is also interested in East Asian culture and is an enthusiast backpacker. She is fluent in Chinese and English and conversational in Japanese and Korean. She is a citizen of China.
Shanna Nichols graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy from Grinnell College in Grinnell, IA. While a student, she wrote for the student newspaper, The Scarlet & Black, led the student service organization, Alternative Break, worked in the Admissions Office as both a Tour Guide and Senior Interviewer and served as a critic on the arts and literary magazine, The Grinnell Review. After graduation, she worked full time as an Admissions Officer, traveling all over the U.S. meeting and interviewing prospective students. She has also served as a Clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives, where she worked with Members of Congress and their staff. Since then, she has held many front-facing federal roles, most recently in the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has allowed her to help everyday Americans and public officials. Her work at the SBA has fueled her passion to more deeply understand the intricacies of the small business community in America and its large impact in the U.S. Born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents and raised in Washington, D.C., she enjoys running, volunteering and stand-up comedy. She is a citizen of the United States.
Rachel Nostrant graduated with honors from Pennsylvania State University in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in Digital and Print Journalism and International Politics. Having decided to enlist in the Marine Corps straight out of high school, Rachel served for almost six years as a Middle Eastern Cryptologic Linguist, deploying to the Middle East and North Africa. After an honorable discharge and finishing her undergraduate studies, she started her journalism career as a general assignment intern for VTDigger in Vermont and as an editorial fellow with Military Times and Defense News. She now works as the Early Bird Brief Editor and breaking news reporter for Military Times and has freelanced for New York Magazine covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rachel hopes to one day be a foreign correspondent after completing her studies at NYU. She is proficient in Levantine and Iraqi dialects, Modern Standard Arabic, and conversational French. Rachel is a citizen of the United States.
Segun Olakoyenikan earned an M.Sc. with distinction in Industrial Mathematics at the University of Benin in 2018. He completed a B.Sc from Adekunle Ajasin University in 2014 and holds a certificate in financial journalism through the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA) program at the Lagos Business School. Segun began his career as a citizen journalist at Hala Nigeria, an initiative of the International Centre for Journalists focused on uncovering underreported health problems in Nigeria’s oil-rich delta region. After his BMIA experience, he covered macroeconomic news, financial markets, corporate earnings, and policy issues in Sub-Saharan Africa for Ripples Nigeria, Proshare and leading Nigerian daily newspaper BusinessDay. A continental award-winning journalist, he joined Agence France-Presse in 2019 where he reports on business and leads the fact-checking operations of the global wire service in Nigeria. He is interested in sightseeing, movies and working out. Segun is a citizen of Nigeria.
Dayun Park graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A in Communication and Journalism from the University at Albany, SUNY. She was in the Honors Program with a concentration in Organizational Communication. She studied abroad at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. Currently, Dayun works as a Development Officer at Korea Society, a nonprofit organization that promotes a strong relationship between the people of Korea and the United States. She organizes high-profile special events including the Annual Dinner, Golf Tournament and President Interview Series. Previously, she worked as a New York City local reporter at Korea Daily and City Limits, writing articles on immigration, politics, business and culture. Her passion for Journalism developed from her experience at Samsung Electronics America where she was a Global Reporter. She is most interested in covering the global economy, financial markets and corporate affairs. She also enjoys traveling, eating delicious food and running marathons. Dayun is a citizen of South Korea.
Kailyn Rhone graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Public Relations from Florida A&M University in 2022. During her time there, she was the managing editor of the student newspaper, holding internships at Tampa Bay Times, Texas Tribune, and ProPublica. Through her freelance work, Kailyn’s reporting has also appeared in Teen Vogue and other well-known publications. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. A member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Kailyn is dedicated to providing a voice for underrepresented communities and addressing the unspoken issues surrounding them in hopes of creating change for future generations to come. She is a Reuters Journalism Fellow. Kailyn loves traveling, making TikToks, and spending time with loved ones in her spare time. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Kailyn is a citizen of the United States.
Hyunsoo Rim graduated from Yonsei University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2018. She studied abroad at the University of Pennsylvania in her junior year. During college, Hyunsoo worked as a research assistant for global management consulting firms in Korea, where she solidified her interest in the business world. She then interned at a law firm in Vietnam. Upon graduation, Hyunsoo joined MetLife Korea as a product planner and helped launch life and health insurance products. Striving to communicate actuarial and financial concepts in an intelligible way, she found her pathway to business journalism. As a journalist, she hopes to write stories that demystify the complexity of financial and economic subjects. She is particularly interested in writing about sustainability issues. Hyunsoo enjoys listening to podcasts and exploring local coffee shops. She is fluent in Korean and English and is working on her French. She is a citizen of South Korea.
Anna Russi graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from UniCEUB in 2018. Her professional experience with business and economics reporting started during her first internship at Correio Braziliense. During her second internship, she covered the 2018 elections at Poder360, where she got hired as a macroeconomics reporter after graduating. There, she wrote about the economic changes proposed by Bolsonaro’s government, including social security reform. In 2019, she became a trainee for Estadão’s Business Journalism program. After that, she rejoined Correio Braziliense as the leading economics reporter responsible for the coverage of the Ministry of Economy, Central Bank, and Financial Market. In 2020, Anna joined CNN Brazil as an economics journalist ahead of its official launch. There, she has analyzed the government’s economics projects and wrote about government spending during the Covid-19 pandemic. Anna can speak Portuguese, English, and Spanish. She is a citizen of Brazil.
Sydney Sladovnik graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington State University in three years with a degree in Strategic Communication Public Relations and a Minor in Business Administration. She spent the last year as a corporate communications intern at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories—one of the nation’s leaders in electrical and cybersecurity engineering—facilitating a variety of content creation, storytelling, and data analysis through internal and external media channels. She is also a contributing graphic designer for Avocet, a strategic marketing agency in Colorado. In her last semester, she co-led a public relations research project for Spokane Community College, presenting the final campaign upon graduating. She is excited to further expand her passions for connectivity and creativity within the journalism industry and BER program. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and fashion media. She is a citizen of the United States.
Yuheng Zhan graduated cum laude with a B.S. in journalism from Boston University in 2020. He began his journalism career as an intern at the Financial Times Beijing Bureau, where he found his passion for business reporting by primarily covering the U.S.-China trade war and bitcoin. He later landed an internship on Forbes China’s editorial team, where he was involved in the projects of enterprise performance evaluation and stock market trends. After graduation, he transitioned into a public relations role at Golin Harris, working closely with global brands in the food, aviation, and logistics industry, offering him a lens into both sides of the communication equation. Being fluent in Mandarin, English, and Korean, Yuheng embraces his career with a globalized worldview to reach a broader audience. He is a travel enthusiast and spends his leisure time reading, playing basketball, and watching Netflix. Yuheng is a citizen of China.
BER-23 Class
Graduated 2023
Erica Carnevalli graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from Cásper Líbero College in 2016. She was a visiting student at NYU in 2018 and contributed to Bedford & Bowery, a Carter Journalism Institute publication. Interested in women’s rights, in her last year as an undergraduate, she produced a multimedia report on female presence in the Brazilian film industry. She then reported on the intersection of social issues and economics as an intern at one of Brazil’s main newspapers Estadão, where she co-created a multimedia series of stories on gender inequality. In 2019, she covered digital transformation challenges as a business reporter at Época Negócios of Globo Group, the largest media company in Latin America. Later, she became an economics and technology editor of Meio’s newsletter. She enjoys backpacking and occasionally hiking. Erica is fluent in English and Portuguese, and conversational in French. She is a citizen of Brazil.
Jasleen Chawla graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Analytics and Finance from the Drexel University Honors College in 2016, entering with a Dean’s Merit Scholarship. During her time there, she was accepted into the university’s cooperative education program, holding internships at J.P. Morgan, Johnson & Johnson, and Goldman Sachs. Upon graduation she joined Deloitte as a consultant, then transitioned into the field of data and analytics in the healthcare industry, researching behavioral trends and evaluating quantitative metrics. She entered the world of journalism as a contributor for South Asian centric publications, exploring relevant topics like the Sikh Genocide and the Farmers’ Protest in India. As a journalist, she plans to continue that work by covering socio-economic problems that result from the marginalization of minorities. In her spare time Jasleen enjoys rock-climbing, running, and teaching Pilates. Jasleen is fluent in Punjabi. She is a citizen of the United States.
Angelique Chen graduated from National Taiwan University in 2021 with a B.A. in International Business and a minor in Foreign Languages and Literatures. She developed a passion for business reporting while covering finance and technology at Awakening News Networks, a Taiwanese daily news publication. Her works on the Taida (NTU) Student Journal covered Hong Kong journalists relocating to Taiwan, Taiwanese non-profits, and more. Realizing the essential role of data in modern journalism, she dived into data analysis through machine learning projects like one predicting data scientists’ salary, and market research projects she conducted while interning at the American Institute in Taiwan, the de-facto U.S. embassy. She is now a member of the award-winning data journalism team Readr. Angelique was also a member of the 2020 Harvard College in Asian Program and the captain of the 2019 Lifenet Foundation Volunteer Team. She is a citizen of Taiwan.
Ni Dan graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 2021. She obtained an honors acknowledgment from the media studies department in UCB. She was an active member of Eta Omega Chi, a professional business fraternity at Berkeley. She created a club called ThinkInfinity that targets to connect students with professionals from technology and business companies. It was through this experience when Ni became interested in business and economic reporting. She interned at InsightChina, a popular social media account in China in 2019. In 2020, she worked at LVMH in the marketing department for three months. During her last year of college, she worked on her own research project that focused on studying the rise of feminism in Weibo. Outside of school, Ni is interested in playing badminton, watching movies, and running. She is a citizen of China.
Doug Gorman graduated from the Boston College Carroll School of Management in 2017 with a dual degree in Operations Management and Philosophy. Since the start of the pandemic, he worked as an analyst and writer for the consumer research firm, GlobalWebIndex, where he created reports uncovering changes in global consumer preferences, behaviors, and attitudes during various stages of the pandemic lockdown. In this time, he covered a range of topics including corporate sustainability and diversity initiatives, the pandemic’s effect on consumers’ mental health, and voter attitudes during the 2020 election. Before GWI, Doug worked in marketing and sales roles at early-stage technology startups, where he found a love for entrepreneurship and sought to better understand disruptive industries. He is a voracious consumer of fun facts, documentaries, and online courses on everything from cooking to data analysis. Although he was raised largely outside of the country, he is a citizen of the United States.
Cole Horton graduated from the University of Oxford in 2019 with a B.A. in History and First-Class Honors. As a student, he held communications internships across the public and private sectors, including with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs. There, he drafted press guidance on issues ranging from human rights to violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Following his graduation, Cole joined Prosek Partners, a leading financial communications firm, where he developed and implemented media relations programs for traditional and alternative investment managers. This experience opened his eyes to financial journalism – and solidified his interest in pursuing it. As a journalist, Cole hopes to report on the evolution of private markets, including the firms and personalities at the center of this industry. He is passionate about aviation, food history and improving his meager baking skills. Cole is a citizen of the United States.
Diana (Ke) Li graduated from Tsinghua University in 2020 with a B.A. in English and Journalism. During college she interned at Xinhua News Agency, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and Reuters in Beijing and wrote for the Asia real estate newspaper Mingtiandi, and Sixth Tone, covering fresh voices from China. During her internship at WSJ, she helped cover the trade war and Xinjiang surveillance camps. At Reuters, she was one of the first interns who assisted in data-driven projects about COVID-19. Faced with COVID-19, she took a gap year after graduation and traveled around China’s 20 provinces while developing a startup in international education, helping Chinese students studying overseas. Diana is also a passionate vlogger and has more that 10,000 followers on her bilibili and Weibo channels @清华可可学姐. Diana is fluent in English and Chinese, and conversational in Japanese. She is a citizen of China.
Nicolle Liu graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016. She started her career in the media profession with Reuters Breakingviews as a production assistant conducting data research for the Asia bureau and managing the publication’s social media. She then joined the Financial Times’ Hong Kong bureau in 2017, where she covered the rapid and vigorous changes in the Asia financial center. She has written stories on topics ranging from democracy movements to tycoons and the manufacturing and aviation industry in the South China region. Her eagerness to make business and financial reporting accessible to the general public drives her to pursue further study in business journalism. She is a contributor to Aftershock, a collection of deep reflections on Hong Kong’s citywide 2019 pro-democracy protests. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking. Nicolle is a citizen of Hong Kong.
Prarthana Prakash graduated in 2021 with a B.Soc.Sc. in Politics, Law and Economics from Singapore Management University. In her senior year, she interned at CNBC Asia Pacific, where she worked on the channel’s flagship shows like Squawk Box and Capital Connections. She also worked as an editorial intern at Transfin., a news media company based in New Delhi. She served as her university’s ambassador and as the Vice President of a research club specializing in emerging economies. Prarthana’s interest in joining the BER program stems from her passion for understanding the impact of markets on the everyday life of consumers. Having lived in India and Singapore, she hopes to write stories that capture the diversity and potential of Asian businesses. In her spare time, Prarthana enjoys boxing and exploring new restaurants. She is fluent in English and Hindi, and proficient in Tamil and Spanish. She is a citizen of India.
Anita Ramaswamy graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Economics. While at Tufts, she was managing editor of the Tufts Daily and held internships in finance, including at Wells Fargo Securities. Upon graduating, she joined Wells Fargo Securities full-time as an analyst in its Middle Market Investment Banking group. After a stint in fundraising at another investment bank, she found a way to unite her finance background and passion for journalism as an editorial fellow on Business Insider’s finance team, covering institutions and trends on Wall Street. As a journalist, she hopes to leverage her industry experience to cover disruptive trends and technology-driven innovation in business. She enjoys meditation, hiking in warm climates, and drinking espresso. Born in Miami, Florida and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona by Indian immigrants, Anita is a citizen of the United States. Twitter. Website.
Lisa-Elena Rennau is a double-degree graduate of Frankfurt UAS and Sanda University Shanghai. She holds a B. A. in International Business and a B. A. in International Economics and Trade and graduated among the top 5% of her class in 2021. During her studies, Lisa interned at the global Adidas headquarters, where she supported campaign planning and reported on execution across markets as part of the Business Strategy & Development team. She was also an operations intern at Razor Group, a Berlin-based startup and leading European e-commerce brand acquirer, where she contributed to brand growth and expansion to various channels and marketplaces. Given her bi-nationality and several years of living and studying abroad, Lisa’s interest in journalism stems from her discovery of similarities and differences in the reporting of economic and ecological concerns around the globe. Lisa is fluent in English, German and Bulgarian and conversational in French, Spanish and Mandarin. She is a citizen of Germany.
Shelby Rosenberg graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern California in 2017. She spent part of her last semester researching gender bias in antidepressant and family planning advertising campaigns, solidifying her passion for unravelling social inequities through informative, accessible storytelling. After graduating, she joined an education consulting firm, where she worked with high school students to establish fundamental writing skills and advised them on crafting compelling personal statements. Her desire to pursue business and economic reporting stems from conversations with her students regarding the impact of 20th century economic developments – particularly in East Asian countries – on generational shifts in the definition of success and well-being. She is especially interested in exploring socioeconomic mobility as a function of diversity initiatives in the higher education sector. Shelby enjoys hiking and continues to expand her library of Classical Hollywood cinema. She is a citizen of the United States.
Beth Treffeisen graduated with a B.S. in Journalism from Emerson College in 2015. Beth previously worked at the Cape Cod Times as a general assignment reporter. During her three years living and working on Cape Cod, Beth specialized in profiles, local businesses, and young professionals. Her story examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of Cape Cod’s tourism industry was syndicated by USA TODAY. Beth won a New England Newspaper Award for her feature on the challenges facing young shellfishing families in Wellfleet, MA. Prior to working on the Cape, Beth worked for the Independent Newspaper Group in Revere, MA, covering hyper-local news in Beacon Hill, Fenway, and the Back Bay. In her off time, Beth enjoys taking her dog on walks, cooking, and photography. Beth grew up in New Rochelle, NY and is a citizen of the United States.
Kunyi Yang graduated with an MSc in Sociology from London School of Economics in 2018. She earned her B.A in English Language and Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2017. Kunyi began her career as a business reporter at Global Times, one of the biggest English language newspapers in China, covering commodities, technology and economic developments for more than two years. Her interest in writing about the intersection of politics and economics emerges from her experience covering the drama of the US-China trade war, which led to her decision to pursue a master’s degree in business and economic reporting. Prior to Global Times, she was also a China policy researcher at Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in London, an NGO that reports on environmental criminal conduct. In her spare time, Kunyi loves working out and cooking, and is currently looking for the best recipe for zucchinis. Kunyi is a citizen of China.
Gigi Zamora is a 2020 Magna Cum Laude graduate with a dual degree in Digital Journalism and Communication Arts from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. In her final semester at Marymount, Gigi served as co-founder and translation editor of the university’s first digital journal, TwoTwoOne. Mid-pandemic, she returned home to Puerto Rico and worked for a magazine in the west side of the island covering local stories and events. Although she enjoys dabbling in fiction, she is mostly interested in reporting on politics and economics. A member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Gigi aspires to shed light on the struggles faced by Puerto Ricans and Latin American communities. She enjoys reading, traveling and connecting with nature. Gigi is fluent in English and Spanish and is working on her French. She is a citizen of the United States, born and raised in Puerto Rico.
BER-22 Class
Graduated in 2022
Helene Braun graduated with a B.A. in English from Hamburg University in 2019. She was a visiting student at NYU in 2017. Helene began her career as an editorial intern working on behalf of MDR Sachsen, a leading public broadcaster in Germany, where she conducted interviews for the daily TV news. In 2018, she interned at NYU’s Deutsches Haus, responsible for the weekly newsletter and dialogs on the institution’s own blog. Prior to attending NYU, she interned in online sales at a large retail chain, Tchibo, where she focused on data analytics and sales. As an EU citizen, her decision to pursue a master’s degree in Business and Economic Reporting stems primarily from her interest in the economic consequences of Brexit, which she examined during her studies. She is also highly interested in the tech business. In her spare time, Helene is a slow but enthusiastic reader and occasional runner. She is a citizen of Germany.
Alicia Doniger graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Retail Merchandising and Product Development in 2017. In her final year as an undergrad she led a student research study on sustainability within the apparel industry, which grew her interest in global journalism. Following her graduation, she held sales positions in the fashion industry with luxury designers in New York City, including Michael Kors. These positions allowed her to grow in business, marketing and economic settings. She found her interest in journalism at a young age, and her interest has grown from experiences in the professional world. Alicia aspires to combine her fashion and business background with a journalism degree in order to report news on global economic and social affairs. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, visiting museums and trying new restaurants. Alicia is a citizen of the United States.
Yuqing (Zoe) Han graduated from Boston University in 2020 with a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Journalism. In 2018, as a summer intern of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, she researched junk bonds and securitization of non-performing assets. In her final year of college, Zoe spent four months as the statehouse correspondent of Boston Business Journal, localizing impacts of international trade conflicts on the business community in the greater Boston area. Her state policy reporting also appeared in several other major local papers. In school, Zoe was a co-founder and the Vice President of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society on campus. As a side interest, she is a podcast producer. Her past projects include news shows and nonfiction storytelling. Recently, she is preparing a show about conversations between Asian and Asian American communities. Zoe is fluent in English and Mandarin, and proficient in Spanish. She is a citizen of China.
John Hyatt graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2016 with a B.A. in History. As a student, he contributed to The CMC Forum and held internships in journalism, politics, and communications. After graduating he joined Prosek Partners, a leading financial communications firm where he worked with private equity, asset management, and fintech clients. He then joined Ditto PR, where he worked with blockchain and crypto startups and was named 2019 Employee of the Year. As a journalist he plans to harness his liberal arts education and industry experience to pursue long-form, investigative stories on the intersection of business, finance, and politics. He enjoys cooking, watching Premier League Soccer, reading and writing fiction, and traveling with his wife. John is a citizen of the United States and a proud Coloradan. Blog.
Doyinsola Oladipo graduated from Tufts University in 2018 with a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in African studies. While at Tufts, she interned at the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. She hosted a campus radio show and was a Tisch Scholar for Active Citizenship. After graduation, she worked as a paralegal with the intention to attend law school but pivoted to a career in journalism to contribute to more inclusive reporting. Doyin worked as a video writing fellow at INSIDER Inc. and produced videos for the Voices of Color vertical. She is interested in reporting on economic development in Africa and the African Diaspora and is the recipient of the 2020 Reuters-NABJ scholarship. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and practicing Spanish. She is Nigerian-American and a citizen of the United States.
Krisztian Sandor graduated in International Relations with a concentration in energy markets and geopolitics from Corvinus University of Budapest in 2018, then earned his MS in International Business and Economics from Corvinus in 2020. While in college, he interned for Kitekinto, where he reported about Turkish- Kurdish tensions. Later, he served as editor-in-chief of Kozgazdasz, a university magazine. As his interest turned to finance, he joined Forbes Hungary in 2018 as a staff writer. He wrote the 2019 October cover story about Julius-K9, a garage company that turned into a global pet brand. He edited the first Hottest Hungarian Startups list, and contributed to the Forbes World’s Billionaires list calculating the net worth of one of the region’s richest businessmen. He is a Fulbright Scholar at NYU. He is a fan of backpacker traveling, passionate about green finances, and constantly improves his surfing skills. Krisztian was raised in Budapest and is a citizen of Hungary.
Angélica Serrano-Román graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Marketing from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in 2020. She has been working for Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism since 2019 covering government and business news while also fact-checking public officials’ claims. During the summer of 2019, she interned at Puerto Rico’s main newspaper, El Nuevo Día, where she covered community, business, and science stories. Her work has been published in local and U.S. mainland media, including Metro and the Orlando Sentinel. Serrano-Román served as the Student Representative at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Board of Directors from 2019 to 2020. She is the first Puerto Rican recipient of the NAHJ-Facebook Journalism Project Scholarship, and won the ProPublica’s Diversity Scholarship and María Elena Salinas’ Scholarship in 2020. She is a citizen of the United States, born and raised in Puerto Rico. Twitter.
Xuan (Isabel) Wang graduated cum laude from the University of Connecticut in May 2019 with a B.A. in Journalism and Economics. As an undergraduate, she reported on the Connecticut women’s march in 2017. Following that, she worked as an on-camera reporter and TV producer for a student-run news show in her senior year. After graduation, she interned at Reuters Beijing with the commodities and energy team. She contributed to coverage of China’s futures market, the African swine fever outbreak, and U.S.-China trade talks in 2019. She was a tech reporter at Pandaily, an English online publication based in Beijing, covering the financing of China’s tech startups and major moves of Internet giants. Besides, she serves as the editor of Chinarrative, an independent newsletter that features English nonfiction and reportage on contemporary China. She loves reading, R&B music, and outdoor activities. A citizen of China, Isabel is fluent in English and Chinese, while conversational in French.
BER-21 Class
Graduated in 2021
Vinamrata Chaturvedi completed her Bachelor of Commerce from Banaras Hindu University in 2012 with honors in Financial Markets and Services. In 2013, she earned a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and gained professional experience in a variety of media. She started working in 2013 at CNBC and later joined Navbharat Times, a leading Hindi newspaper. She broke the story about the Murthal alleged gang rape during the Jaat Quota Riots in 2016. In 2018, she joined Deutsche Welle, a public broadcasting service in Germany, and worked on a project called “Women in Asia.” She has written on economic issues as well as the caste system and gender inequality. Vinamrata is fluent in English and Hindi and can communicate in German. She enjoys cooking and traveling. Vinamrata is a citizen of India, and is from Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Sam Del Rowe graduated from NYU’s College of Arts & Science in 2015 with a B.A. in English. As an undergraduate, he was a staff writer on the student newspaper, Washington Square News, covering school news and events, and student and faculty profiles. Upon graduating, Sam interned at CFA Institute where his duties included writing, editing, and scheduling content for the organization’s publication, Enterprising Investor. He then took a position as assistant editor at CRM magazine, a trade publication that covers the customer relationship management (CRM) industry. His duties included pitching and writing articles on industry trends and research; writing news stories and blog posts for the magazine’s website, destionationCRM.com; and traveling to report on industry conferences. Sam spent over three years at CRM magazine and was promoted to associate editor during that time. He enjoys listening to various genres of music, traveling, and trying different cuisines. Sam is a citizen of the United States.
Jarrell Dillard graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Leadership Studies from Hampton University in May 2019. He is the recipient of the 2019 Reuters-NABJ scholarship. While attending Hampton University, he worked as a Production Intern for 13NewsNow, where he gained broadcast news experience, and as a Public Affairs Intern for the Army Corps of Engineers, where he gained print news and public relations experience. After graduation, he worked as the government intern for Bloomberg, reporting on Capitol Hill, the White House, and other beats in the nation’s capital. He is a member of the Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society for Journalism and Mass Communications and the National Association of Black Journalists. Jarrell is interested in business and politics, and he is particularly interested in working on the broadcast side of news. Jarrell is a citizen of the United States.
Jillian Harding graduated with honors from The Catholic University of America, earning a B.A. in World Politics in 2008. As a producer for Yahoo Finance, she contributes to coverage for live shows and special events. Previously, Harding was an all-platform journalist at CBS MoneyWatch, writing and producing general assignment business stories on topics ranging from trade to personal finance. Prior to her work at CBS, she spent more than five years at CNBC as a field producer on beats including markets and economics. She has produced field shoots across the U.S. and Europe, including interviews with the President of the United States, foreign dignitaries and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Harding began her career in CNN’s Washington bureau, helping the live desk with Capitol Hill and election coverage and writing for the CNN Political Ticker. She is a citizen of the United States. twitter.com/jill_harding
Lyllah Ledesma graduated with a B.A. in Politics from the University of East Anglia in July 2019. In her final year, she studied the shifting powers of Africa in the 21st century. Focusing on the emerging economies of Sub Saharan Africa, she presented and scripted the weekly news bulletin for Livewire, the university’s radio station, and reported live on politics, sports, and global and local news. Lyllah was also heavily involved with the committee board ‘’Decolonising the Curriculum,’’ in which the objective was to diversify the teaching content, include more material from non-western contexts, and utilize decolonial and post-colonial approaches. She drew on her own experience as a Latina woman living and studying in the UK to make concrete proposals for reform within the University’s curriculum. She is interested in war reporting, emerging economies, and political economy. In her spare time, she enjoys tennis, rowing and running. Lyllah is a citizen of Ecuador, Britain, and the United States.
Ahmed Mohamed graduated from Duke University in 2019 with a B.A. in Public Policy and a certificate in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics (PPE). As an undergraduate, he worked for the university’s Office of Licensing and Ventures as a communications intern, writing digital stories on entrepreneurship for Duke Today. During his senior year, Ahmed interned for Indy Week, where he worked with a team of reporters to write about bail reform and education trends in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to attending NYU, he interned with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Research team, where he analyzed the personal financial disclosures, social media accounts, and media appearances of elected officials. He is interested in reporting on the intersection of politics and economics. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Ahmed loves discovering new music, reading, traveling, and cheering on his Blue Devils. He is a citizen of the United States.
Marta Orosz completed a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English Language and Literature at Eötvös Loránt University Budapest, Hungary in 2010. She relocated to Berlin, where she worked as a Germany correspondent for the Hungarian public service radio. In 2015, she started working for CORRECTIV, the first non-profit investigative newsroom in Germany. Her major investigations have included the planned EU – US trade deal TTIP; consequences of the parallel trade in medicine; sexual harassment at the biggest German public broadcaster; and environmental consequences of the waste-to-energy business in the cement industry. In her latest project, “Grand Theft Europe,” she coordinated 35 newsrooms across 30 countries reporting on the biggest ongoing tax fraud in Europe. She is interested in alternative story-telling methods including gamification and theater productions based on investigative stories. She is a dual citizen of Romania and Germany. twitter.com/martiorosz
Zishu Sherry Qin graduated cum laude from Barnard College of Columbia University in May 2019, with a major in Art History and two minors in Economics and Sociology. While at school, she was a contributing writer to Barnard Bulletin, primarily focusing on the cultural scene of New York City. In 2018, she interned with MarketNews (MNI), where she grew her professional interest in economic and business reporting. She aspires to combine her liberal arts background with her knowledge of economics to report from an interdisciplinary perspective. After graduation, she interned with Beijing Review, covering stories in culture and entertainment. Her academic and professional interests lie in macroeconomics and Asian markets. In her spare time, she loves traveling and visiting museums. Sherry was born in China and moved to the US after middle school and is fluent in Chinese Mandarin and English. She is a citizen of China.
Gaurav Sharma earned a B.A. in Political Science (Honours) in 2007 from the University of Delhi and a Diploma in Journalism in 2009 from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Before joining the BER program, Gaurav was China Correspondent for Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), an Indian newswire. He covered China’s internal politics and its ties with the U.S., India, and other countries. He reported on Xi Jinping’s rise to become China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, the bruising US-China trade war, and the Korean nuclear crisis. He was a fellow at the China Public Diplomacy Association in Beijing in 2016. As IANS’ correspondent in India, he reported on politics and human rights. He also covered the deadly earthquake in Nepal in 2015. He won a fellowship from the National Foundation for India to report on hunger and poverty. He is fluent in English and Hindi, and can also converse in Mandarin. His favourite book is Autobiography of a Yogi. Gaurav is a citizen of India.
Daniela Sirtori-Cortina graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2016 with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science. She worked as a reporter and assistant city editor at the Columbia Missourian, a newspaper at MU managed by professional journalists and staffed by students, and interned at The Buffalo News in the summer of 2015. After graduation, she interned with the wealth team at Forbes for nine months, tracking and valuing the fortunes of the world’s richest people for the magazine’s marquee billionaire lists. She then was a reporter for two years at the New York City bureau of British financial publication Citywire, a role in which she broke stories on local and international financial firms operating in Latin America. Daniela is fluent in English and Spanish, conversational in French and is working on honing her Portuguese. She is a citizen of Colombia.
Natasha Solo-Lyons graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing and Management and a minor in Creative Writing from Marymount Manhattan College in May 2019. She is the recipient of a gold key designation for achieving the highest GPA in her major within her graduating class. She has worked as an intern at a variety of organizations, including Victoria Beckham, New York Life, and Altfest Personal Wealth Management. Her interest in journalism grew during an internship at Hearst’s CR Fashion Book, where she covered global fashion, beauty, and culture. Going forward, she is interested in stories about the economy and capital markets, global fashion, culture, and other topics. She enjoys playing tennis, as well as spending time with her family, friends, and dog. Natasha is a citizen of the United States, and a native New Yorker.
Hannah (Zhihan) Zhang graduated cum laude from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics, plus a minor in French. While an undergraduate at NYU, she interned at the United Nations as a communications specialist for the HeForShe movement, creating media content that advanced gender equality. This internship shifted her interest to a career in journalism, and she became a frequent contributor to The Economics Review at NYU. After graduation, she worked for Reuters’ speed team in Beijing, monitoring breaking news about China’s financial market, U.S.-China trade talks, and Chinese government policies. Besides business journalism, she is interested in narrative reporting, foreign correspondence, and global issues like women’s rights and immigration. Hannah speaks fluent English, Chinese, and French. In her spare time, she enjoys reading in three languages, writing novels, and playing the piano. Hannah is a citizen of China. Blog: zhihanzhang.com
BER-20 Class
Graduated in 2020
Giovanna Bellotti Azevedo graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in May 2018, with a major in International Politics and a concentration in Foreign Policy and Policymaking Processes. During her college career, she gained professional experience in a variety of media. She worked as a staff writer for The Hoya, Georgetown University’s newspaper, reporting on campus and city news. For two summers, she interned with TV Globo, Latin America’s largest broadcaster, where she was mostly involved with pre-production and research. She is the author of the blog “Desvendando Política (Unveiling Politics), which aims to make political and economic news interesting to young people. Through her blog, she has interviewed public figures including Maria Silvia Bastos, former president of Brazil’s Social and Economic Development Bank, and Gustavo Franco, former president of Brazil’s Central Bank. Giovanna speaks English, Portuguese, French and Spanish. She is a citizen of Brazil. Website link: http://desvendandopolitica.com.br/
Jasmin Marie Barmore earned her B.S. in Mass Media and Communications from Rochester College in 2018. Prior to the completion of her degree, she received a diploma for a one-year TV/Film program at Specs Howard School of Media Arts. While studying at Specs, she worked as an anchor and news director for Specs Howard T.V., an experience that gave her a love for reporting breaking news. She interned as a broadcast news writer and reporter with 910amSuperstation, covering stories in business, lifestyle, and entertainment. Jasmin is the owner of thegiftbasketboutique, where she uses her creativity to design custom children’s gift baskets. Recently, she donated over 50 gift baskets to a foster care agency in her community. In addition to Jasmin’s professional life, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and cooking with her mom. Jasmin was born and raised in Detroit, and is a citizen of the United States.
Millie Dent graduated from Wesleyan University in 2015 with a B.A. in Government and a Certificate in Writing. While at school, she served as news editor for The Wesleyan Argus and spent time as a contributing writer for Forbes, covering the business behind media and entertainment. Millie also worked as a research assistant for Forbes editor Richard Behar, who is at work on a book about Bernard Madoff. After graduation, she worked in New York City as a reporter intern for The Fiscal Times, covering business news, personal finance and international affairs. She later was hired as a full-time employee. Millie then spent two years working at American Metal Market, reporting on the North American stainless steel and base metals industries. Millie is interested in stories about international trade, foreign affairs and the commodity markets. She enjoys hiking, traveling and warm weather. Millie is a citizen of the United States.
Elizabeth Gravier graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2013 with a B.A. in Magazine Journalism and a minor in marketing. During school, she interned for SHAPE Magazine, writing web stories on fitness and nutrition. Upon graduation from SU, she moved to Los Angeles to launch her career as a reporter on technology, finance, and the arts at C-Suite Quarterly (“CSQ”), a regional B2B publication. Interested in the business behind journalism, she then broadened her professional repertoire at the Los Angeles Business Journal (“LABJ”) as an advertising account manager and led B2B content for LABJ’s national sales strategy in digital, print, and event sponsorships. Her experiences in both the editorial and advertising side of journalism, along with her innate curiosity and love for research, led her to investigative reporting with a focus on finance, economics, and business. Elizabeth is from Cleveland, OH, and is a citizen of the United States.
Natalia Kniazhevich graduated from Saint Petersburg State University in Russia in with B.A in finance. Before moving to New York, she was a producer and anchor at Russian Business Channel, the largest independent business TV channel in Russia. She covered global economics and politics and hosted the live program «Financial Markets.» She has interviewed top Russian and foreign executives, investors and government officials, including Ben van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, Jon Huntsman, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Khalid A. Al-Falih. At RBC she did a special report «London. Russian Business,» for which she interviewed Russian entrepreneurs on how political tensions between Russia and the U.K. affect Russian assets in London. She has a keen interest in finance, focusing on the oil and gas industry.
Daniel Kuhn received his B.A. in Philosophy from Saint Michael’s College in 2015. He spent two years serving as music director for the college’s radio station, WWPV. He also completed an internship with Pi Recordings. This past year he has taken post-graduate English courses at The City College of New York, where he helped organize the Graduate Literature Student Association. He has presented his academic work at several literary conferences. His paper, “The Descent into Pure Ideology,” a cross literary examination of how novels discuss the shifting economic and social factors that give rise to totalitarianism, was a finalist at the CUNY Graduate Student Research Symposium. As assistant manager at San Pietro Wines and Spirits, Daniel follows microeconomic trends within the wine industry. He enjoys making the intimidating world of wine accessible, and hopes to do the same for economic news. He spends his free time reading, walking, and traveling around the northeastern megalopolis. He is a citizen of the United States.
Arriana McLymore graduated summa cum laude from Hampton University in 2017 with a B.A. in Journalism. She is the recipient of the 2018 Reuters-NABJ scholarship. Upon graduation, she interned with Weber Shandwick’s Digital Editorial team, creating blog posts and interactive content for clients. Prior to attending NYU, Arriana interned for DC Inno for six months, reporting on startup companies, gig economy and work trends in the Washington, D.C. area. During her time in the nation’s capital, she also interned for Edelman’s brand team. Arriana worked as a CNBC online intern during her undergraduate years where she learned how to report on earnings, stocks, and tech companies. Arriana is interested in reporting on stocks, startup companies, and trade. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Online News Association (ONA), and Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE). Arriana favorite hobbies are cooking, tweeting, and attempting yoga. Arriana is a citizen of the United States.
Lavanya Nair graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a B.A (Hons) in Japanese for International Business. While at UCLan, she composed articles for various online media sites such as The Culture Trip Ltd and Film Daily, on an array of topics such as travel, film, and gastronomy. Lavanya also completed a marketing internship for Penguin Random House Publishing in order to gain an insight into the various segments that make up the world of publishing. She spent a semester in Japan, developing fluency and studying the local business environment. Lavanya speaks five languages including Japanese, Spanish, English, Hindi and Malayalam. Upon graduating, she worked for the IYUNO media group as a freelance translator to exercise her love of languages and linguistics. Her passions include, travel, food and foreign cinema. Lavanya is a citizen of the United Kingdom. Blog: Bashful Brit. (www.bashfulbrit.com)
Natalie Sachmechi graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in Economics. At NYU, she conducted research on the implications of religion in Iran’s economy, for which she received a grant in 2017. This research led her to join the BER program and study economic reporting. Her academic and professional interests lie in political economy and emerging markets, as well as assisting the general population in understanding economic news. During her studies, she has worked in the non-profit sector as an intern at the Legal Aid Society, and then as a brand strategist for a political consulting firm, Citizen HQ. Currently, she is an associate in the SEO Practice at iQuanti, where she focuses on the financial industry. Natalie speaks three languages including English, Farsi, and Spanish, and is interested in learning about different cultures through travel, literature, and food. Her hobbies include pastry design, reading Russian novels, and traveling to underrated destinations. Natalie is a citizen of the United States.
Malak Saleh graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Florida in 2018 with a B.S. in Nursing and a minor in Psychology. She pursued a degree in medicine while working as a freelance writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Making a shift in her path to higher education was essential to reaching long-term career goals. After graduating, she interned at an Environmental Protection Commission Agency conducting investigative research on the direct impact of businesses on waste management programs active in Florida districts. She was also involved in air management outreach and wetlands management programs. Malak is interested in investigative reporting, foreign correspondence, and documentary filmmaking. She is determined to report on environmental affairs and inform the public on current policies and corporations that harm the climate and environmental welfare. Malak is a dual citizen of the United States and Jordan and speaks both English and Arabic.
Marc Stewart graduated from Michigan State University’s James Madison College, with a B.A. in International Relations. An Emmy-nominated journalist, he most recently worked as a television news anchor and reporter for the evening news at KMGH-TV7, the ABC affiliate in Denver, Colorado. His reporting assignments have taken him across the country and around the world. In 2017, he was awarded a reporting fellowship from Japan’s Foreign Press Center. During his time overseas, he reported on Japanese transportation innovation, the North Korea conflict and pop culture. He is also one of a few journalists to travel to North Korea as part of a fellowship with the East West Center. He has also completed an East West Center fellowship to China and Hong Kong. In addition to covering the news, he has finished three Ironman 70.3 triathlons and several open water swims including Alcatraz to San Francisco. Marc is a citizen of the United States.
Yunfan (Frances) Yue graduated with honors from the Communication University of China with a B.A in Broadcast Journalism in 2018. During college, she interned at China Daily and China Global Television Network, where she developed her interest in business reporting by writing and shooting stories about the global economy, mergers and acquisitions, and technology. At the Chinese Wall Street Journal, she interned as a social media editor for half a year, exploring various ways to promote multimedia news content. In 2016, she conducted research and interviews as a news assistant for a startup publication and freelanced for the Journal of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China. Besides journalism, Yunfan is interested in communication science and completed her B.A. dissertation based on empirical research concerning censorship in China. In her spare time, Yunfan likes movies, rock and roll, and going to the gym. Yunfan is a citizen of China.
BER-19 Class
Graduated in 2019
Yasemin Sim Esmen graduated from Syracuse University in 1997 with a B.S. in Radio, TV, and Film Production. After college, she returned to her native Istanbul. She first worked as production assistant at a televised investigative news program, then as a film critic for a national newspaper. Yasemin joined the English-language newspaper Hurriyet Daily News (formerly theTurkish Daily News) in 2007working as a reporter and editor. She covered real estate, diplomacy, media, minorities, sailing, off-the-mainstream sports, restoration of historical buildings, the wine and coffee industry, and arts and cultural events. She also wrote film and restaurant criticisms. She edited the daily’s real estate pages and later filled in as editor of the foreign news and diplomacy pages. She is a certified trilingual (Turkish, English, Italian) translator. Yasemin enjoys the outdoors and exploring new places. LinkedIn Profile./ Yasemin is a citizen of Turkey.
Alexandra Garfinkle graduated from the University of Chicago in 2015 with a B.A. in Theater & Performance Studies. Upon graduation, she worked as a playwright and theater artist in Chicago. Her work in that time — as a theater-maker, oral historian, and fundraiser — led to a love for document diving and the act of journalism as a public service. She is currently writing a book about Flint, Michigan. Alexandra is drawn to stories about Russia, the Rust Belt, economic policy, trade wars, finance, and real estate. When not pouring over public records, she can be found in dance classes, running wine tastings, and working on an adult literacy certification. She also speaks Russian and has taught English in both Vietnam and Ghana. Alexandra was born in Miami, FL and is a citizen of the United States.
Sarah Hansen graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude from Northwestern University in 2014 with a B.A. in English and Art History. After graduation, she worked as an internal investigations paralegal in the Washington, D.C. office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed, where she specialized in international anti-corruption law, corporate compliance investigations, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. She later joined the office of Holland & Knight as a paralegal in the real estate group, assisting developers in the sale of luxury condominium units in New York City. Sarah also completed an internship at KUCB, a public radio station in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and the United States’ westernmost NPR affiliate, where she hosted news broadcasts and filed stories that ran on the Alaska Public Radio Network. Sarah is interested in investigative reporting, and looks forward to exploring how global economic trends take shape on a local scale. She is an avid hiker and loves experimenting with new recipes. Sarah is a citizen of the United States.
Chibuike Oguh graduated with an M.A. with Distinction in International Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University in July 2016. He earned a B.S. from Enugu State University of Science and Technology in 2009. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Chibuike began his career as an intern at the business desk of Thisday, a leading Nigerian daily newspaper. For two years, he was the Content Editor of a Lagos-based mobile value-added services firm that at its peak had over 14 million subscribers on the MTN network. He joined Financial Nigeria, a monthly development and finance journal, as a Frontier Markets Analyst before being promoted to Associate Editor, overseeing all coverage of the leading economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. Chibuike is a diehard soccer fan, always rooting for Nigerian national soccer teams and Manchester United. He enjoys traveling, playing chess, and visiting historical sites. Chibuike is a citizen of Nigeria.
Jialiang Pan graduated from Renmin University of China in June 2017 with a M.A. Degree in International Journalism. He earned a B.A. in 2014 from Northeast Normal University. During an overseas internship program at the Washington D.C. bureau of China Daily USA, Jialiang published numerous stories covering China-US relations. He then assisted journalists with investigative journalism projects about tax reform, private investment and local corruption scandals in China while interning at the Beijing bureau of The Wall Street Journal. Jialiang also worked as a culture research assistant at The New York Times Beijing bureau, where he helped research topics ranging from Chinese ancient historical sites to popular Chinese online celebrities. He is interested in international trade, social economics and the development of small and medium size businesses. Jialiang’s hobby is British Parliamentary debate. In 2014, he won first prize in China’s National English Debate Competition. Jialiang is a citizen of China.
Ariel Shapiro graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012 with a B.A. in History with Honors in the Liberal Arts. While at UW, she served as the state news editor for The Daily Cardinal, and later became a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. After working both in Washington, D.C. and New York City as a political communications specialist, Ariel spent two and a half years at MSNBC as a production assistant and associate producer. She had the opportunity to write and produce political segments for Melissa Harris-Perry and A.M. Joy. Following her time at MSNBC, she worked as a writer and photographer at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Ariel’s academic and professional interests include housing policy, gender and racial inequality in the workplace, economic history and radical centrism. She enjoys traveling, making pasta, hanging out in Prospect Park and watching cheesy BBC period dramas. Ariel is a citizen of the United States.
Madeline Shi earned a M.A. in Public Communications at American University in 2012. Previously, she graduated from Northeast Normal University in June 2011 with a B.A. in Journalism. After completing her studies, Madeline was an international broadcaster at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, covering a wide range of legal topics. She later worked as a bilingual finance editor for Wallstreetcn, a Shanghai-based media company covering business news, writing articles on macroeconomic news, financial market, corporate earnings and the Fed’s FOMC meetings. During that time, Madeline obtained a course certificate in Advanced Managerial Finance from UCLA Extension. Madeline has interviewed financial analysts, attorneys, and economics professors and reported from events including the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Conference in 2016. In her spare time, Madeline enjoys reading, dancing, coding, filmmaking and traveling. She completed a filmmaking workshop at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles. Madeline is a citizen of China and permanent resident of the U.S.
Yuanqing Sun graduated from Shanghai International Studies University with a B.A. in Journalism and English in 2011. Before graduation, she interned with Thomson Reuters in Shanghai for nine months, delivering research on China’s socio-economic issues. After graduation, she moved to Beijing to work for China Daily, China’s national English-language newspaper, where she covered a wide range of topics including lifestyle, business and urbanization. She was chosen as the only Chinese recipient of the Thomson Reuters Foundation funding to attend the United Nation’s International Fund for Agricultural Development Governing Council in Rome in 2016 for her previous reporting on urbanization and rural development. For the past two years, she has been focusing on China’s fashion and luxury industry, interviewing fashion designers and company executives for both business and lifestyle stories. She also contributed to Jing Daily, a New York-headquartered digital publication on luxury consumer trends in China. Yuanqing is a citizen of China.
Aarthi Swaminathan graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science (Hons), from the National University of Singapore. After graduation, Aarthi interned at the public relations agency Hill&Knowlton, working with the technology practice. She then worked with the Guest Assignments Desk at CNBC Asia, booking guests for the live shows, including Squawk Box Asia and Capital Connection. She also field produced events such as the Shangri-La Dialogue 2017, and contributed several articles to CNBC.com. Growing up between Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Yangon, Aarthi developed a deep understanding of Southeast Asian politics and markets. She is interested in trends in the tech space, tech IPOs, and more broadly, in how tech enables developing countries to leapfrog developmental hurdles. She enjoys reading, running, yoga, watching TV, and traveling. Aarthi is passionate about business news and looks forward to breaking important stories. Website: aarthoo.wordpress.com. Aarthi is a citizen of Singapore.
BER-18 Class
Graduated in 2018
Nayla Al-Mamlouk graduated in December of 2015 with a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College. During her college years, Nayla served internships in the media and communications industries. In 2013, she interned at Cypress Corporation, a telecommunications consulting firm. In the summer of 2014, she worked at Omnicom Media Group in Dubai, followed by an internship in 2016 as a business analyst for ICflix, the Middle East’s leading streaming platform company. Nayla’s decision to pursue a master’s degree in journalism, specifically focusing on economics and finance, stems from her interest in the economic upheaval that results from war-torn countries and the inevitable repercussions on people. She is interested in traveling, adventure sports, yoga, food and her family. Nayla is a citizen of Syria but has lived in five countries.
Yinan Che graduated from Shanghai International Studies University in June 2016 with a B.A. Degree in International Journalism. She also studied journalism and media at the University of Hong Kong during her third year of college. Yinan served as the chief editor of a campus publication and a director of campus television. She also reported for Pro Journo and had an article published in the Huffington Post. While in school, Yinan completed internships at major media organizations including the International Channel of Shanghai TV and Xinhua News Agency, reporting company and business stories. She interned as a research assistant at the New York Times Shanghai bureau and the Reuters Shanghai and Beijing bureaus, where she learned research skills and cultivated a passion for reporting and writing business news. In her free time, she likes sports, traveling, baking, and writing about fashion. She’s also a marathon runner. Yinan is a citizen of China.
Aaron Coleman graduated magna cum laude from Fort Valley State University with a B.A. in political science in 2014. During college, he studied African American political and economic issues as an intern at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and as a researcher at UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center. After graduation, Aaron interned at the Case Foundation in Washington D.C., where he researched diversity and inclusion in high-growth entrepreneurship. He then worked as a communications associate for Village Capital, writing about venture capital, impact investing, and inclusion. Aaron is interested in American economic history, social entrepreneurship, and how sustainable market practices are impacting America’s racial wealth gap. He enjoys reading, running, listening to hip-hop, and eating chicken wings with french fries and bleu cheese. He is a citizen of the United States. Read Aaron’s work on Medium here: medium.com/@BlackSocEn
Xin (Krystal) Hu graduated with honors from Wuhan University with a B.A. in Journalism in June 2016. During her time at Wuhan and in an exchange at the University of Hong Kong, she learned about multimedia and financial news reporting. The former head of her university news website, Krystal has interned at Southern Weekly, China’s most independent national newspaper, covering Chinese politics. She has also interned at The Wall Street Journal, where she filed a dozen news stories from Beijing, and at Reuters in Shanghai, where she assisted on an investigative project about education. Having worked as a production assistant for VICE, Krystal explored China’s factories and food culture. She hopes to tell important economic and business stories in compelling ways—just like her favorite podcast, Planet Money. In her spare time, she is a photographer, a runner and occasional piano player. Krystal is a citizen of China.
Mike Juang graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland with a M.A.(Hons) in Business Studies in 2011. Before deciding to fulfill his lifelong dream of writing, Mike accumulated five years of international experience in the financial services industry, most recently as a NYC-based investigator and claims adjuster with Crum & Forster, a top US-based insurance underwriter, and as an Average Adjuster with Richards Hogg Lindley in Liverpool. A strong believer in the power of information in making better decisions, Mike started writing with the goal of making business understandable for a broad audience. His blog and journalism covers beats including business, economics, global politics, and technology. A lifelong traveler, Mike enjoys flying gliders when he can, swimming when it’s warm, backpacking when it’s affordable, and art or cinema when there’s time. Mike was born in New York City, and is a citizen of the United States.
Phyllis Lam graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 2015 with a dual degree in Business Administration with High Distinction and History of Art with High Honors. After graduation, she worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at UBS in Hong Kong, participating in the preparation and execution of M&A, debt financing, and equity financing transactions for healthcare companies in Asia. Prior to that, Phyllis interned at UBS, Citigroup, and Sotheby’s. In college, she joined the Michigan Interactive Investments team to research and invest in U.S. equities across sectors. She also worked on a team fieldwork project studying the Russian automotive industry and the construction of Lima Metro in Peru. Phyllis is interested in covering company news and industry trends to analyze their global economic impact. She enjoys painting, visiting art museums, and traveling. Phyllis is a dual citizen of Hong Kong and the United States.
Britt Martin graduated from the University of St Andrews with a MA (Hons) in Economics & Management in June 2013. Following graduation, she worked for more than two years as a financial analyst, both for a multinational in London, England and in real estate development in Vancouver, Canada. At the latter, Britt worked closely with senior management to develop quantitative models that better analyzed data and helped inform the firm and its clients. Britt also spent eight months working as a program director alongside a not-for-profit in Lusaka, Zambia and has interned as a production assistant, focusing on documentary shorts, with a Vancouver-based film company. Britt is interested in investigative reporting, in particular in these areas: the microeconomics of financial phenomena, current events and their global economic impact, social economics, financing entrepreneurship, and the challenges plaguing NGOs. Britt loves to travel, eat delicious food, watch films/documentaries, and play volleyball. She is also (slowly) learning to speak French. Britt is a citizen of Canada.
Charles Rollet graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in History with a minor in Slavic Studies from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. After graduation, Charles was a Princeton in Asia fellow at the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia, working as a reporter for a year. He was hired as a staffer shortly afterwards and went on to work for another eight months at the Post. During his time in Cambodia, Charles covered topics ranging from everyday business stories to fugitive Russian billionaires. His work uncovering a bizarre rocket gambling scheme on the Thai border was nominated for a Society of Publishers in Asia award. Charles is passionate about business and investigative reporting and looks forward to a career in the field. His journalism portfolio is available here. Charles is a citizen of France.
Paula Seligson graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013 with a B.S. in Information Science. While a student, she wrote for The Daily Tar Heel and interned for the (Raleigh) News & Observer, leading to a job at one of the News & Observer’s community newspapers, The Smithfield Herald. She worked there as the only reporter and photographer for one year, covering beats including municipal and county government, local business, economic development, education at the K-12 and community college levels, crime, and features. She returned to UNC’s School of Media and Journalism in 2014 as a researcher, exploring new business models for small community newspapers and investigating the growing consolidation in the newspaper industry. She is interested in the impact of business and the economy on people’s day-to-day lives, especially the long-term effects, both positive and negative, of economic decisions on industries and communities. Paula is a citizen of the United States.
James Thorne graduated from Boston College with a BA in English Literature (Hons) and a minor in Hispanic Studies in 2010. After leaving school, he spent a year teaching English in Istanbul before moving to New York to work as an editor for the art and design publication Cool Hunting. He has interned at Esquire magazine and holds a certificate from the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. James currently works as an editor for The Foundry @ Time Inc., where he creates custom and native content for financial services companies. He is interested in covering the role that business entities and economic policy play in issues related to social justice, financial opportunity and income inequality. Clips of his work can be found here. He enjoys writing fiction and commuting around Brooklyn by bike, and has been known to compete in local Olympic weightlifting meets. James is a citizen of the United States.
Yueqi Yang graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in History. She was the 2016 Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist in New York, writing about business, finance and China. Prior to that, she was a part-time reporter at Philadelphia Magazine, where she documented the impact of the emerging sharing economy on local residents. At Penn, she was a senior writer at the Daily Pennsylvanian and an editor at Wharton International Business Review. In the summer of 2015, she interned as an equity research analyst at Credit Suisse in New York, covering the gaming and lodging sector. Growing up in Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone in southern China, she is passionate about investigating how the economic environment changes people’s everyday life. She enjoys random conversations with Airbnb hosts and Uber drivers. She is a citizen of China. yueqijournal.com.
Yifan Yu graduated from Nanjing University in 2016 with a B.A. in Journalism. During college she joined the Interdisciplinary Program in Social Science for Talented Students, which provides a comprehensive curriculum in Economics, Law and Journalism. Since her internship at CNBC Asia, Yifan’s greatest interest has been reporting business stories. She served internships at the 21st Century Business Herald and China Business Network, where she investigated and reported on Chinese e-commerce and financial technology sectors. She also spent four months interning at a technology start-up in India to gain a better understanding of start-ups from a different perspective. Yifan also enjoys devoting herself to public service. Volunteering in a women’s rights NGO in Bangalore gave her first-hand experience in social issues, and provided material to write articles on gender equality in Asia. Consulting for a hospice in Shanghai led her to write about the neglected state of hospice care in China. Yifan is a citizen of China.
Yi (Jane) Zhang graduated from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies with a B.A. in English (media and cultural studies). She also studied photojournalism at the University of Texas at Austin before she came to New York. For over three years, she had been a reporter for Sing Tao Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper, where she published numerous stories covering the Chinese community in New York City. Her story “Fifty Years Later, A Norwegian Finds a Different Sunset Park” received an Ippies Award in 2016 as “Best Story about a Community”, and also recognized as “Voice of NY’s Best of 2015”. Jane is interested in data-driven investigative reporting, following the money to dig deeper into a story. When she is not in the newsroom or classroom, she likes hiking, swimming, biking and trying out different restaurants in the city. She is a citizen of China.
Wei (Wolfie) Zhao graduated from City University of Hong Kong in 2012 with a B.A. in Media and Communication. While in school, he wrote news stories for the CityUniversity campus station and joined a major broadcasting company in Hong Kong as an intern to attend the 2012 China National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Following his graduation, he has worked for Hill &Knowlton and Text100, both global public relations firms based in Hong Kong, focusing on writing column articles and pitching news angles for multinational business and consumer technology companies. He is excited to pursue his education in business journalism, and will focus on emerging technology, both B2B and B2C, and how technology disrupts daily life and transforms the worldwide business landscape. Wolfie also holds a piano performance diploma from the ABRSM. In his spare time, he enjoys music, concerts, movies, swimming, and fine tea. Wolfie is a citizen of China.
BER-17 Class
Graduated in 2017
Jacqueline Elkort graduated from the University at Albany in 2008 with a degree in Political Science. She did postgraduate study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in consumer and luxury goods, labor, and international trade. She was awarded a research scholarship to embark on a yearlong project that included a month spent in India investigating child labor in the apparel export production industry. She went on to work in private sector marketing research and international trade, transitioning into her most recent role as Social Media Manager for a non-profit. Jacqueline was born and bred in New York and enjoys late nights, athletics, fashion, reading, mysteries, friends and traveling. She is excited to continue feeding her curiosity by merging her interests and past experiences as she pursues a career in business journalism with an emphasis on investigative reporting, social media and broadcast journalism. Jacqueline is a citizen of the United States.
Natalia Erokhina graduated from Hult International Business School with an MBA in 2014. She earned a M.S. in Computer Science and Linguistics at Russian State University for the Humanities in 2006, completing a thesis on artificial neural networks. She has ten years of experience working in business development for global software and other technology companies, managing the development, launch and promotion of more than ten mobile apps in cooperation with leading publishing companies for the educational market in Russia and Latin America. For the last two years, Natalia has studied and worked in Silicon Valley. She managed U.S. operations for Mobile Ecosystem Forum, a global trade body that promotes an expanding mobile ecosystem. She is a media co-chair in VLAB, the San Francisco chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum, which provides a platform for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, industry experts, and venture capitalists to exchange ideas. Natalia is enthusiastic about covering technology as a journalist. Natalia is a citizen of Russia.
Tyler Eyre graduated from St. John’s University with a B.S. in Economics in 2013. After graduation he completed an internship in Los Angeles with the television production company The Institute. Asked to stay on as a financial analyst, Tyler continued at the firm for several months, managing the finances for various high-profile commercial projects, before taking a job at CNBC in New York City. Tyler has spent the last two years in the New York Stock Exchange working for CNBC in production. Tyler worked in positions such as audio technician, camera operator, and stage manager. He is part of the team responsible for filming the shows Squawk on the Street, Power Lunch, and Closing Bell, among others. Tyler is an avid sports enthusiast and spends his free time reading, and he enjoys watching SportsCenter reruns. Tyler is a citizen of the United States.
Aaron Hankin graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors Degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. For the last 10 years he has worked for the Bank of New Zealand, trading emerging market interest rate and currency products. He worked for five of those ten years in New York on a secondment to BNZ’s parent company National Australia Bank. He also successfully completed the ACI Dealing course in Sydney. Aaron has had two articles published in New Zealand papers, the most recent about his ordeal at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Aaron was there supporting his sister and only a few blocks away when the bombs went off. His interests include trail running, hiking, baseball, theatre/music and traveling. Aaron is a citizen of New Zealand and gets mistaken for an Australian more than he gets questioned how he became a Red Sox fan living in New York.
Qi He graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in International Relations. While at Syracuse, she served as a member of International Ambassador program, reviewing profiles and conducting interviews with incoming students each year. Prior to graduation, she spent two summers studying as an exchange student at East China Normal University in Shanghai and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Qi also worked an internship as an administrative assistant at Shanghai Jumeriah Himalayas Hotel, and another internship doing market analysis at China Pacific Property Insurance Co. She was also an entrepreneur when she wasn’t studying. Until this past spring, Qi operated her own online shop, called Q’s Boutique, selling U.S. fashion products such as clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories to people in China. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, running, shopping, fashion, and discovering new things. She is a citizen of China.
Mrinalini Krishna graduated with a Masters degree in Mass Communication, specializing in Journalism from SIMC, India and earned a B.A (Hons.) degree in Economics from University of Delhi. For over five years, she has been a prominent face on national financial news networks in India like ET NOW and CNBC TV18, covering economic policy and market regulation. Her articles have been published in leading financial dailies like The Economic Times, Mint and Business Standard. Some of her noteworthy stories include economic reforms during a national currency crisis, controversial retrospective tax law change impacting mergers and acquisitions, and undercover investigations that set off a regulatory turf war leading to a national ordinance. Mrinalini is interested in matters pertaining to governance of financial markets and economic policy, especially how they are nuanced more by political expediency than by sound economics. She is an amateur musician and a rookie photographer. Mrinalini is a citizen of India.
Huiliuqian (Veronica) Ni graduated from Tsinghua University with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in English in July 2015. During college she was trained as an on-camera correspondent and studied abroad at the University of Virginia. As an executive director of the school newspaper she covered stories about the democratization of China’s future college development including promoting the scholarship allotments and campus infrastructure. She has completed internships at Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, reporting business issues at a national level with concentration on technology, education and investment. Veronica also interned at a UK E-commerce start-up and an NGO under UNESCO to gain a better understanding of the current economic environment. She is an enthusiastic language learner and has studied French and German since high school. Her paper about English writing anxiety was published on English Language Teaching in 2014. Veronica is a citizen of China.
Hyun Seok (Sunny) Oh graduated from NYU in 2015 with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in East Asian Studies. He took a sabbatical after his junior year and first worked at Newsweek Korea, where he reported on emerging markets. Thereafter, he worked as an intern at China Economic Review, a business and economics magazine covering China, where he reported on Chinese shadow banking and the successes and failures of Chinese firms going public. He is interested in reporting on the sprawling story that is China, and how its economic growth will affect global supply chains and the fortunes of its neighboring countries. He is also interested in writing business and financial news that is intelligible, informative, and entertaining. In his free time, he likes to cycle, watch the Arsenal football club, and see films. Sunny is a citizen of South Korea.
Akane Otani graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English in 2014. After completing her undergraduate studies, Akane interned at Reuters in New York, where she covered the U.S. stock market and the Alibaba IPO. She then worked as a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg Business, writing about business schools, higher education more broadly, and how young professionals are navigating the workplace. Akane has also written for USA Today and The Christian Science Monitor, and briefly dabbled in broadcast journalism at CBS Chicago. She is particularly interested in data-driven reporting, telling stories about the intersection of economics and everyday human behavior, and exploring how higher education is responding to financial pressures. When Akane is not in the classroom, she enjoys exploring used bookstores, indulging her caffeine addiction, and walking around her neighborhood with her scruffy terrier, Mowgli. She is a citizen of Japan.
Charlotte Wold graduated with honors from Berkeley College with a B.A. in Business Administration-Management in 2014. She first came to New York in 2011 in a study abroad program, and decided to transfer full time to Berkeley from Telemark University College in Norway. Following her graduation, she worked for a media production company, Ambitious Media, where she was responsible for the day-to-day accounting and finances. She also developed a system of payment structures and procedures that Ambitious Media still uses today. During this time she also performed freelance market research, focusing on laws and regulations applied to the travel industry. She is interested in subjects such as socioeconomics, politics and the world of business startups. In her spare time Charlotte loves to travel, do yoga, and sail with her family. She is a citizen of Norway.
Michelle Zhou graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2013 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Law. Following graduation, she worked for a stock market intelligence company, Stockwatch, writing headlines and summarizing material news on public companies in Canada and the U.S. Her particular focus was on mining and energy. While in school, Michelle completed two internships as a policy analyst at the Asia Pacific headquarters of Time Warner Inc. There, she wrote investigative reports on intellectual property infringement, regulatory affairs and market access barriers affecting the media industry across 14 countries. She covered issues such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, SOPA and China’s non-compliance with WTO commitments. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys being involved in the community. She sat on the board of directors of a city theatre, and spent two summers as a lifeguard and swim instructor. She is fluent in English and Chinese. Michelle is a citizen of Canada.
BER-16 Class
Graduated in 2016
Shreya Agarwal completed her post-graduate diploma in Financial Planning from the International College of Financial Planning in 2010, after earning a B.A. in Mass Media and Mass Communication from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University in 2007. After her education, she worked as an equity research analyst for Invest Shoppe India Ltd, a stock brokerage firm, where she covered the Indian banking industry, managed client portfolios, and tracked stock markets on technical charts for two and a half years. Then she joined Reuters as an Online News Producer. She packaged and prioritized news content for Reuters’ flagship website, which caters to a global audience. Shreya has a keen interest in understanding the nuances of running a developing economy. Her aim is to communicate financial news in a way that is easily understandable. In her free time, she likes to read and indulge in nature photography. Shreya is a citizen of India.
Anita Balakrishnan graduated Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude from the University of Denver with a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Biology and a minor in English in March 2014. She has completed internships at KDVR Fox 31/ KWGN Channel 2 News in Denver, Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, and Mountain Living. During college she wrote a capstone paper about media economics, covered the 2012 Presidential Debate as the editor-in-chief of her university newspaper, and studied abroad at the University of Hong Kong. Her previous work experience includes communications fellowships and internships in an environmental non-profit, Colorado State politics, civic education, and public health tobacco outreach. She is interested in writing consumer stories that highlight the labor and environmental practices of companies. She also enjoys data-driven reading and writing about the economic effects of urban development, migration, and feminism. She is a citizen of the United States.
Emily Bary graduated from Wellesley College in 2014 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in Middle Eastern studies. While at Wellesley, she worked on the school newspaper and served as an editor-in-chief of the paper in her final year there. She spent the past two summers as an intern at Barron’s, where she enjoyed reporting on alternative mutual funds, catastrophe bonds, and the packaged-food business. She is interested in the politics and economics surrounding government biofuel subsidies and the unpredictable market for renewable energy credits. She is also interested in issues pertaining to health policy, especially involving Medicare and Medicaid. In her free time, Emily likes playing tennis with her family, doing Monday crossword puzzles, and cheering for the Jets on Sundays. She is learning Modern Standard Arabic. Emily is a citizen of the United States.
Rachel Butt graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Business Journalism. After her graduation in December 2013, she completed a winter internship at Bloomberg News in Hong Kong. She covered consumer news and broader economic issues in China, ranging from American direct-selling companies to the National People’s Congress. She also assisted the Bloomberg TV team and conducted follow-up interviews with economists and company executives. During her undergraduate years, Rachel has written profiles for The American History of Business Journalism (AHBJ.com), covered startups for The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., and published property stories for The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. As a business journalist, Rachel is interested in covering private equity, retail and technology. She is fluent in Cantonese, Chinese, and English. She enjoys traveling (she’d never say no to a travel assignment), painting and blogging. Rachel is a citizen of Hong Kong.
Katharine “Kerry” Close graduated from Cornell University in 2014 with B.A. in government and Spanish. This past summer, she completed an internship on the business desk of the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, covering local businesses and trends in South Florida. She has also held internships as a general assignment reporter with Newsday (Melville, N.Y.) and The Asbury Park Press (Neptune, N.J.). With The Press, she worked with the business department on a series of profiles on local businesses at the Jersey Shore. At Cornell, Kerry worked as a staff writer and news editor at the student-run daily newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, primarily covering minority issues and student government. She is interested in the intersection of public policy and business and its effects on the economy and personal finance. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading and rooting for New York sports teams. Kerry speaks Spanish. She is a citizen of the United States.
Ben Derish-Luby earned a B.S. in Communication from Cornell in 2013. He studied communication, the history of film, and economics. As a research affiliate of Stanford, in partnership with the Kennedy School at Harvard, he studied inequality among world nations and contributed to research efforts evaluating national policy on a significant public problem. He has experience in the private sector and in public service, having served as an intern in 2012 at the Office of Management, U.S. Department of the Treasury. He has a longstanding passion for creating films and has produced videos for many years for a variety of causes, clients, and purposes. While studying Shakespeare, history, and international diplomacy at Cornell in Washington D.C., Ben edited videos for the Democratic Governor’s Association. A native of San Francisco, he enjoys playing tennis, rap music, movie making, and his golden retriever, Tobey. Ben is a citizen of the United States.
Krysia Lenzo graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Government in 2012. She spent two years as the executive producer at Harvard University’s Television News and worked at the NBC affiliated WHDH – TV 7 News in Boston on the weekends. In addition, she worked at WOR Radio in New York and conducted man-on-the-street interviews and edited sound clips for several news shows. After graduation in 2012, Krysia spent two years as an analyst at UBS Investment Bank where she worked in the Private Funds Group. She also interned during her gap year at Conde Nast Portfolio, where she published several online articles and multimedia. Krysia is enthusiastic about pursuing a career in business journalism, paying particular attention to investigative reporting and broadcast news. She is a citizen of the United States.
Ayako Mie graduated from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2010 as a Fulbright scholar. She also earned a B.A. in law from Tokyo-based Rikkyo University in 2001. Right after college, she started out as a TV reporter for Tokyo Broadcasting System, a television network in Japan. She also served as a Washington D.C. correspondent for the network. She interned for The Wall Street Journal in Tokyo after graduating from Berkeley, and then worked for the Washington Post as a Tokyo special correspondent. Seeking more writing opportunities, Ayako in 2013 became a staff writer at the Japan Times, the only independent English-language daily in Japan. She covered Japanese politics with a strong emphasis on the country’s defense policy. She also taught journalism at a Japanese college. Aside from work, Ayako enjoys salsa dancing, running, and traveling to discover new things. She is a citizen of Japan.
Bartie Scott graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.A. in Economics in 2011. She completed a research internship for the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, where she wrote about the challenges of funding Tennessee’s city and county school systems. Then she worked for Shelton Group, an advertising agency focused exclusively on motivating consumers to adopt more energy efficient and sustainable consumption habits. She assisted with ongoing polling of American consumers’ attitudes about energy efficiency and the publication of four proprietary market research studies annually. Bartie helped launch a spinoff company called Fiveworx, which sells business intelligence and marketing automation software to utilities to engage customers in energy efficient home improvements and behaviors. Bartie is interested in writing about how startups, small business, technological advances, and social enterprise fuel economic development. Her non-academic interests include running, sustainable fashion, rescue animals, and volleyball. She is a citizen of the United States.
Rebecca Spalding graduated cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2012 with a B.A. in English literature. In the summer before attending the BER program, she participated in the Lede Program at Columbia, a post-baccalaureate program that trains journalists in data and data technologies using advanced programming languages as well as other topics in computer science. While there, Rebecca pursued a data-driven investigation into the rise of non-bank financial institutions, a topic she will continue to explore at NYU. Prior to beginning her graduate work, she spent two years working in the real estate industry in Manhattan, both in the commercial and luxury residential sectors. Additionally, she has held internships at Merrill Lynch, Cosmopolitan, and the Columbia University Press. She is proficient in Spanish, French, and now Python, a programming language. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, being an avid skier and having recently learned to sail. Rebecca is a citizen of the United States.
Nicholas Yeap graduated from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, with a M.A.(Hons), Accounting and Finance in 2014. Prior to that, he completed his Phase 1 Medical Program at the International Medical University, Malaysia in 2009. Nicholas spent two consecutive internships at Citibank Malaysia as a Wealth Management Products and Investment Business Summer Analyst. He worked at the business desk covering Retail Bonds and Mutual Funds. Nicholas also has internship experiences with Malaysia’s Sovereign Fund; Khazanah Berhad and Malaysia’s credit rating agency; and RAM Ratings. In his third year of college, he studied a year abroad at the University of Texas at Austin. Nicholas has a particular enthusiasm in Southeast Asian geopolitical influences towards the strategic development of Asian asset and wealth management. He is fluent in English, Malay and Cantonese. In addition, Nicholas has a passion for culinary experiences and calls himself a “foodie”. He is a citizen of Malaysia.
BER-15 Class
Graduated in 2015
Helena Ball graduated with Upper Second Class Honors from the London School of Economics with a B.S. in Economic History. She completed a summer internship at the London-based business newspaper City A.M., covering financial news for FTSE listed firms in industries ranging from media and technology to retail and transportation. Her previous work experience includes two years as a research analyst at Stelac Advisory Services, a wealth management firm in New York City. She also worked for a year as project manager for The Group of Fifty, an organization originally under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment, bringing together the most influential business leaders in Latin America. Born and raised in Venezuela, Helena developed an early interest in freedom of speech as well as in public policy and its impact on economic development. She is fluent in Spanish and has advanced proficiency in French and conversational in German. She is a citizen of Venezuela and Germany, and a permanent resident of the United States.
Purva Chitnis graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Information Sciences and Technology and a minor in Business. After graduation in 2011, she worked as a SAP Business Objects Report Developer at Benjamin Moore Paints for two years. At Benjamin Moore, she was responsible for developing business reports and providing dashboards to the end users. As a business journalist, Purva’s goal is to cover the global economy and financial markets and their ramifications on developing countries. She wants to help people in developing countries understand the concepts of economics and finance so that they can make informed decisions about their own finances and better fight the corruption that saps their economy. Purva is a trained Indian classical dancer. She is fluent in Marathi (native) and Hindi. She enjoys traveling, dancing and playing badminton. Purva is a citizen of India.
Ruchira Roy Chowdhury graduated from Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune with B.A. in Economics, followed by a Post Graduate diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, India. She has worked three years for The Economic Times, the largest Indian business daily by circulation and coverage. She has covered money markets (currency and bonds) and the Indian government’s financial inclusion programs. She won two monthly awards for the best stories published in the ET, one of which covered an African bank that opened its first ATM in the Dharavi slums of Bombay, the very first multinational bank to do that in India. In her own beat, she was the first to report on the pullout of foreign funds from the Indian debt market in June, which was widely read for its timeliness. Apart from chatting people up, she loves cinema. She studied World Cinema at Symbiosis Center of Liberal Arts. She is a citizen of India.
Jennifer Henderson earned an MBA from The Citadel Graduate College in 2009 and a B.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management and minor in Business Management from North Carolina State University in 2007. While attending The Citadel, Jennifer worked as a graduate assistant at The Writing Center, where she presented workshops on business communication and tutored graduate and undergraduate students in writing and business. At NC State she maintained membership in Rho Phi Lambda Honors Fraternity, interned in the field of marketing at Yancy’s, a jazz restaurant, and volunteered with Raleigh Parks and Recreation. After completing her MBA, Jennifer worked for two years at Woodforest National Bank as a personal banker, then as an assistant branch manager for the opening of a new branch. Jennifer is interested in strategic marketing and corporate social responsibility and enjoys traveling and culinary adventures. She is a citizen of the United States.
Srividya Iyer completed her postgraduate diploma in print journalism from the Asian College of Journalism after earning a B.A. in Mass Media with a specialization in Journalism at the India SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, in Mumbai. She is the Wall Street Journal Fellow at NYU for 2013-2014. After graduate school, she worked for The Economic Times, world’s second-largest English financial daily, as a technology correspondent for two years covering startups and venture capital. Srividya’s most recent post was Senior Web Producer at Firstpost, India’s first digital-only news product, where she worked at the business desk tracking the stock markets and reporting on venture capital and entrepreneurship. She is fluent in Tamil, Hindi and Marathi. She loves travel and aims to visit five continents by the time she is 30. Apart from that, Srividya enjoys reading and playing board games and looks forward someday to running a marathon. She is a citizen of India.
Yun Lu graduated from Fudan University with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in International Economics in 2013. She interned at China Central Television in Beijing for four months, where she assisted the production of in-depth interviews with prominent figures such as top government executives of Hong Kong. She also interned full-time for China Daily and Global Times, two of the major English-language newspapers in China, and published several full-page bylined articles. Yun enjoys watching sports games and learning new cultures. During her third year in college, she studied abroad at the University of California, San Diego for a term. Yun speaks Mandarin Chinese and some Spanish. She is a citizen of China.
Carl O’Donnell graduated cum laude from Temple University with a B.A. in English and a minor in economics. He spent over two years at the Fox School of Business writing cover stories for alumni magazines and articles about academic research. He also interned for six months at the Philadelphia Business Journal, where he wrote a cover story about minority-owned businesses in Philadelphia. In addition, he interned in media relations at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He started his career by writing for Philadelphia Weekly, ADDitude Magazine and the Temple News. Carl is interested in the economics of urban development, education and new media, as well as the connection between the financial and “real” economies. In college, he tutored ESL students in academic writing, and will continue to do so as a resident of the international graduate student community, I-House. He is a citizen of the United States.
Meenal Vamburkar graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in International Relations. She spent a year and a half as an editor for Mediaite, where she was immersed in the world of media and politics. Previously, she interned for various news organizations including the New Statesman (during a semester abroad in London), the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, and the Hindustan Times. She is interested in business on the international stage, as well as its intersection with media. She loves exploring new places and hopes to travel more. In addition to a longtime obsession with books, Meenal enjoys old movies. She is a citizen of the United States.
Amy (Cong) Xie graduated from Hofstra University with a M.B.A. in Finance, where she gained an understanding and appreciation for business by conducting company appraisals and industry analysis. Prior to that, she earned her B.A. in Economics from Hubei University of Economics. Amy interned at Standard & Poor’s as an Indices Research Specialist. After that, she worked as a full-time Market Research Analyst at a healthcare IT company. By working on whitepapers and RFPs and helping the company to identify its position in the marketplace, she has become more sensitive and analytical about industry trends. Amy speaks Mandarin and has limited working proficiency in Cantonese and Spanish. In the future, she is interested in covering financial news in Asia. She enjoys exploring the world, culture and food, and is a rock fan and a badminton player. She is a citizen of China.
Ning Zhou graduated from University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.A. in Communications and Economics. She spent a semester studying abroad at the University of Manchester, where she studied in the Manchester Business School. This past summer she interned at My China Opportunity as the project manager in charge of marketing media. In years past she also interned at Newsy China as a storywriter, for atCASA as an online editor, and for China Central Television as a production assistant for the nightly news program Global Watch. Ning speaks fluent Chinese. She is interested in investigative reporting and documentaries. She is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys traveling, camping, and doing Pilates. Ning is a citizen of China.
BER-14 Class
Graduated in 2014
Liyan Chen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College with a B.A. in History. She spent her junior year at Sciences Po Paris studying French and international relations. While in college, she wrote for student publications in English and French. Liyan covered local business and political news as an intern for The Galena Gazette in 2011 and for The Toledo Blade in 2012. At The Blade, she worked on investigative projects on the Asian community and Chinese investment in Toledo. Inspired by her senior thesis on online activism and Chinese politics, Liyan hopes to become a technology reporter and cover the intersection of technology, business and politics. In her free time, she loves cooking and trying out different ethnic cuisines. She also enjoys traveling, with a goal to visit at least a different country every year. A native speaker of Cantonese and Mandarin, Liyan is a citizen of China.
Sonya Chudgar graduated from the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a minor in French. She interned for nearly two years at QSR magazine, a trade publicationcovering the food service industry, where her average day involved interviewing the CEO of Krispy Kreme or talking with executives from Papa John’s and PepsiCo about why fast food brands should get involved in sports marketing. Sonya loves all things French, and spent the spring semester of her junior year studying journalism in Paris at l’Ecole de Science Politique. She blogs from time to time, and once wrote a post about procedural TV dramas that got 10,000 hits after Hart Hanson, creator and executive producer of “Bones,” Tweeted about it. Sonya loves reading, traveling, trivia, bad puns, the NFL, and her Tar Heels. She is a citizen of the United States.
Kathryn Dill graduated with Honors from Boston College with a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. She reported for several months from the United Nations Office in Geneva, covering topics ranging from nuclear nonproliferation to Swiss flea markets. While covering the July 2008 Doha Round, she developed a strong interest in international trade as it relates to developing countries. Kathryn later worked as a stringer for the Chicago Tribune, focusing on the northern suburbs. In 2011, she spent time in rural Haiti observing NGOs and local coffee growers associations as part of an economic justice program. Her writing and photography have appeared in publications including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily Herald, and National Geographic Intelligent Travel. Kathryn blogs, bikes, and plays the guitar. She is an avid fan of the Chicago White Sox and New York magazine. She is a citizen of the United States.
Megan Durisin graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism. She spent two years as a reporter and editor at the campus newspaper, The State News. She also completed summer internships at The Bay City Times and Grand Rapids Press with MLive Media Group and in the corporate communications department of Consumers Energy. In 2011, she earned an Associated Collegiate Press Award for a story featuring the struggles of Libyan students at MSU at risk of being deported home during the Arab Spring turmoil. Megan enjoys Michigan beaches, music festivals and MSU basketball. She is a citizen of the United States.
Robert Ferris graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Anthropology and Communication. He worked as a researcher for two years at Russell Reynolds Associates, a global executive recruiting firm, where he specialized in the technology industry. In 2008, he joined the Yeshe De Text Preservation Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to reprinting and distributing the major collections of classical Tibetan Buddhist texts. From 2010 to 2012, he worked as a research assistant for the Mangalam Research Center for Buddhist Languages, an affiliated institute that facilitates the translation of Buddhist literature by mainstream academics from Asian languages into English and other European languages. He has studied Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Spanish, and is a citizen of the United States.
Sarah Ann Jacob graduated with a B.A. in Economics from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. For four years she worked at The Economic Times, the world’s second-largest English business daily. As Principal Correspondent, she has written numerous articles on business developments in India, often focusing on the retail, consumer goods and spirits sectors of the economy. She was named The Economic Times’ best young journalist in 2011. Sarah joins the BER program as the Wall Street Journal Asia Fellow at NYU for 2012-2013 (a fellowship for Asian business journalists sponsored by the Dow Jones Foundation). She enjoys traveling and cooking and is trying her hand at photography. She can speak Malayalam (native) and Hindi. Sarah is a citizen of India.
Yue Jiang graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Journalism and Economics after transferring from Zhejiang University in China, where she studied English and German for a year. She interned at the Columbia Missourian as a beat reporter and as a multimedia reporter. Before that, she interned at the Chinese Business Morning Post. She worked for Theglobalexperts.org, a website project with the United Nations during her last semester at college. Yue Jiang speaks Mandarin Chinese and English. Her career goal is to cover the economy and financial markets in Asia. She also wants to establish a foundation to help journalists in developing countries, especially China, work on issues such as freedom of speech. She is a citizen of China.
John Kapetaneas graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Economics. He started the BER program as a part-time student in the fall of 2011, and is joining BER-14 as a full-time student. At the University of Connecticut, John studied in the economics scholars program and completed graduate and honors coursework in economics law and economics writing. Concurrently, he worked in the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where he devised a marketing strategy for an upstart biochar company. In his free time, John helped manage his family’s restaurant business in Fairfield County. John speaks fluent Greek, and was active in the Greek community at UConn. He enjoys all sports and trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Saranya Kapur graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras with a M.A. in Economics and a minor in English. She interned at some of the top publications in India, such as The Hindustan Times, The Economic Times and Business Today and developed a focus in features and macroeconomics. She has also interned as a researcher at the Union Bank of India, the Industrial Credit Rating Agency and IFMR Mezzanine, a mezzanine investment fund for small and medium microfinance institutions. She recently completed her Master’s thesis, a Panel Granger Causality Analysis of political instability and economic growth, through the channels of investment and inequality. She is a trained Indian classical vocalist and an enthusiastic long-distance runner. She is fluent in Hindi and has intermediate proficiency in Spanish. She is a citizen of India.
Jamie Lee graduated with Second-Upper Honors from Nanyang Technological University with a B.A. in Communications Studies. She worked for four years at The Business Times, a business-news daily operated by Singapore Press Holdings. She reported a wide variety of business stories, focusing on coverage of the stock market, regulation, corporate governance, and shareholder disputes. In 2010, she won the financial journalist of the year award from a shareholder-rights advocacy body, the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), setting the record as the youngest recipient in the award’s ten-year history. A year later, Singapore Press Holdings gave Jamie its award as Young Journalist of the Year. She is a citizen of Singapore.
Katie Lobosco graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Economics. She worked two and one-half years as a news reporter at The Coast Star, a weekly newspaper based in Manasquan, NJ. She reported on municipal government, local politics, school districts, police activity and community events in southern Monmouth County. Katie received an award from the New Jersey Press Association for her stories exploring the behind-the-scenes operations of answering and dispatching 9-1-1 calls. The series brought to light how the impending merger of these services between municipalities could save tax dollars and change how 9-1-1 calls are answered. Katie enjoys the beach and traveling. She is a citizen of the United States.
Anders Melin graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Finance. As a collegiate swimmer he served as team captain at Mizzou and earned seven All-America honors and two NCAA titles while swimming for Limestone College from 2007 to 2009. He brings a wide variety of experiences to the BER program. He has interned with Customer-Business Development at Procter & Gamble, worked for Investigative Reporters & Editors, blogged for Collegeswimming.com, and tutored students in grade school. Born and raised in Sweden, Anders enjoys the bright Scandinavian summers, European beer, electronic music, and exploring the United States by car. Anders is a citizen of the kingdom of Sweden.
Jessica Summers graduated as valedictorian and summa cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a B.A. in Communications and minors in Journalism and Political Science. She spent a summer abroad at Oxford University, where she studied history and politics. She took advantage of going to college in New York City by gaining practical journalism experience. She worked internships at CNN International, CNBC Business News and WABC in New York, as well as KPRC in Houston. She has also worked as a freelance reporter for OK! Magazine and has interviewed an array of personalities, from Donald Trump to the cast of Saturday Night Live. She is an aspiring broadcast journalist. Jessica enjoys reading, writing, traveling, playing tennis, and trying new restaurants in the city. She is a citizen of both the United States and Australia.
Wenqian Zhu graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in Journalism. She worked as a reporter for The Daily Collegian, the campus newspaper at Penn State, focusing on localizing major news events. She won a William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Award for her coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in Shanksville, Pa. Previously, she interned at China Daily and China Central Television in Beijing as a business reporter, and interviewed top executives of Citibank China and Starbucks. At Penn State, she worked in a peer-mentoring program assisting first-year students of diverse backgrounds. Wenqian enjoys playing the piano and traveling in her spare time. Wenqian is fluent in Mandarin. She is a citizen of China.
BER-13 Class
Graduated in 2013
Anya Andrianova earned her MBA at West Texas A&M University in 2008 and received a Bachelor in Marketing at Moscow State Technical University in 2005. Anna worked as the Internet marketing department manager at EURO RSCG, Ecuador, from 2009 to 2011. She was responsible for identifying trends in online business and advertising in Ecuador and Latin America. More recently, she spent the summer of 2011 as an intern in the Moscow bureau of Reuters, where she earned several bylines. She enjoys mountaineering and her last big climb was the Cotopaxi volcano (19,344 ft). Anna is fluent in Russian and in Spanish. She is a citizen of the Russian Federation. (LinkedIn)
Karl Baker has a received a B.A. in Political Science at University of Washington in 2005. Following a family tradition, Karl works part of the year as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, Washington State, and California. During this past summer, his boat brought in salmon at several locations off the coast of Alaska. He has also produced features for KBCS community radio in his hometown of Seattle, and has worked as an English teacher in Mexico City. While in Mexico he learned conversational Spanish but is not quite fluent. He plays saxophone in his spare time. Karl is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
Chenille Chen graduated with a B.S. in Finance and a B.A. in English at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing in 2011. Chenille interned at China Daily, the state-owned English language paper, for six months in 2010. With a strong interest in intercultural communication, she worked at the Beijing Center of Chinese Studies teaching Mandarin to exchange students and professors. She has also taught English to senior citizens and helped provide translation services during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In her spare time, Chenille enjoys cooking for her friends and traveling so that she can understand other cultures. She speaks Mandarin. Chenille is a citizen of China. (LinkedIn)
Warangkana (Waan) Chomchuen earned her M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2007 and her B.A. in English at Chulalongkorn University in 2003. Waan has worked for the last three years as the production coordinator at NBC News Bangkok where she field produced coverage of news and features in Asia. She also contributed multimedia packages of text, video and photography for the msnbc website. Waan began her career in journalism as a Bangkok-based researcher/reporter at NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation. She joins the BER program as the Wall Street Journal Asia Fellow at NYU. Waan enjoys movies, reading, photography and travel. She is fluent in Thai. Waan is a citizen of Thailand. (LinkedIn)
Melanie Hicken earned a B.A. summa cum laude, in Journalism, History, and Political Science (triple major) at Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2009. Melanie has worked for the past two years as the Glendale City Hall reporter for the Times Community News division of the Los Angeles Times, where she produced both daily beat stories and enterprise work. Her passion is in investigative reporting, and she served as part of a three-member Los Angeles reporting team for an investigation into ties between an affordable housing developer under federal investigation for fraud and elected officials. She is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
Kathryn Higbee earned her MBA in Finance at Columbia University in 1986 and her B.A. in Economics at SUNY Cortland College. Before starting a family, Kathryn worked as an analyst in Private Placements for Prudential Insurance Company and in commercial lending for Bankers Trust Company. Since 1994, she has served in a volunteer capacity as a board member and Treasurer of the Woodlea/PATH I Advisory Council, which helps children in group homes operated by Children’s Aid and Family Services, a New Jersey nonprofit. Kathryn is a citizen of the United States.
Regina Hing received a B.A. in Communications Arts at De La Salle University in 2003. Regina spent two years writing and editing for a pan-Asian health magazine, after which she went into corporate communications. Most recently, she served as senior communications manager for Standard Chartered Bank, heading global media relations for the Group Technology & Operations division. Regina enjoys cooking would could see herself competing for a spot on the show MasterChef. Regina is fluent in English, Tagalog and Chinese. She is a citizen of the Philippines and a permanent resident of Singapore, where she has been based for the past 6 years. (LinkedIn)
Andrea Huspini graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in 2003. Following school, Andrea became an entrepreneur, launching a women’s contemporary store online. She oversaw all aspects of running the business. After six years, her business became a casualty of the current economic troubles. Then she went to work in the marketing department at Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company, where she worked on point of purchase elements, publicity for franchisees, and budget analysis. Andrea volunteers for animal organizations and supports legislation punishing abuse. She enjoys yoga and the outdoors. Andrea is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
John Kapetaneas graduated with a B.A., Economics and a Minor in Film Studies at the University of Connecticut in 2011. John studied in the economics scholars program and completed graduate and honors coursework in economic law and economics writing. Concurrently, he worked in the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where he devised a marketing strategy for an upstart biochar company. In his free time, John helped manage his family’s restaurant business in Fairfield County. John speaks fluent Greek, and was active in the Greek community at UConn. He enjoys all sports and trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
David Kaplan earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985 and a B.A. in History and Economics at Brown University in 1981. David works for a medium sized broker-dealer, Cohen and Co., where he manages the firm’s non-agency mortgage securities trading activities. Previously, he held senior positions at other Wall Street firms. He has been an active Board member for the Westchester Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. He is fluent in French, enjoys reading 19th century European history (especially Napoleonic), and when time allows, enjoys jogging, golf and sailing. David is a U.S. citizen but has lived abroad for extensive periods, both in England and in France. (LinkedIn)Doris Martinez earned a B.A. in Psychology and East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University in 2010. Doris worked this past summer as an intern in the corporate communications department at Moody’s Corporation. Earlier, she worked on the market strategy team at Moody’s Analytics, writing and editing brochures and newsletters. During her senior year of college, she studied abroad in Osaka , Japan. She is proficient in Spanish and also speaks some Japanese. Born and raised in the Bronx, Doris is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
Doris Martinez earned a B.A. in Psychology and East Asian Studies from Wesleyan University in 2010. Doris worked this past summer as an intern in the corporate communications department at Moody’s Corporation. Earlier, she worked on the market strategy team at Moody’s Analytics, writing and editing brochures and newsletters. During her senior year of college, she studied abroad in Osaka , Japan. She is proficient in Spanish and also speaks some Japanese. Born and raised in the Bronx, Doris is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
Iryna Neskoromna earned a B.A. in Business Administration with concentration in Finance at Babson College in 2008. Iryna spent two years as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in its investment banking financing group. Prior to that, she worked at AdMedia Partners, a boutique M&A firm. At Babson, Iryna was a member of her college varsity tennis team for 3 years, earning a NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team award. She spent her junior year abroad at the London School of Economics. She enjoys traveling, musicals, reading and exploring Manhattan restaurants. Iryna was born in Moscow and has lived in Ukraine and Hungary. She is fluent in Russian and modestly conversational in Spanish. As of March of last year, Iryna is a citizen of the United States.
Mallory Russell earned a B.A, as a Phi Beta Kappa, in Communications with a Minor in Advertising at University of Southern California in 2007. Mallory worked for the last year and a half on the account management team at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, an advertising agency in San Francisco. Her major responsibilities included managing relationships with a major client, Cheetos, developing strategies for integrated marketing campaigns, and overseeing their production. For the last two years, she has sat on the board of directors of The Living Breath Foundation, an organization that supports people living with cystic fibrosis. She enjoys traveling, going to the theater and USC Football. Mallory is a citizen of the United States. (LinkedIn)
Mark Strzepek earned a B.A. in English at the University of Exeter (U.K.) in 2011. Mark won recognition at the university for his achievements in academics, team building, and volunteer work. He represented the college in international competitions in Tang-soo-do, a Korean martial art, of which he has been a practitioner for three years. He hopes to obtain his black belt in New York. Mark is fluent in Japanese, and is currently studying Korean. He has run bilingual programs for both Japanese and Western children from the ages of 6 to 12. Mark is a citizen of both the United Kingdom and Japan.
Anna Sussman received a M.S. Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2008 and a B.A. in Comparative Literature at Brown University in 2004. At LSE, Anna used a travel grant to research her thesis on discrimination against women in the religious courts in Lebanon. She has continued reporting on human rights. With a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, she reported from Turkey on legal brothels, women’s rights, and the disabled. Her stories have been published on the Pulitzer Center website, as well as in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Nation. Anna likes riding bikes and eating ice cream. She speaks some French, Arabic and Italian. She is a citizen of the United States.
Kin (Kandy) Wong earned a B.A. in Language and Communications at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong in 2002. Kandy has been a China business journalist for more than seven years at the South China Morning Post, an English-language newspaper, and the Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Journal. She has traveled throughout China writing stories on topics including autos, energy, retailing, and politics. In 2007, she won the Hong Kong News Award in the category of Best Business News Writing (English). She is fluent in Cantonese (native) and Mandarin. She enjoys traveling, swimming, rock climbing and reading. Kandy is a citizen of Hong Kong. (LinkedIn)
BER-12 Class
Graduated in 2012
Kim Bhasin earned his MBA in Strategic Management from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in 2009. He was awarded his B.S. in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from the John F. Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in 2007. Kim worked as a marketing project executive at Strategic Positioning Consultancy from 2005 to 2009. An avid sports fan, he is especially interested in all the inner workings of sports business. Born in Singapore, he is a citizen of Canada.
Michelle Cerone received her B.A. in Journalism and Media from Rutgers University in 2008. She is a freelance writer for both the Wyckoff and Montville editions of the AOL’s hyper-local website Patch.com and for the Princeton Packet. Previously, she worked as a writer and editor for the Daily Targum, the daily newspaper at Rutgers, and had an internship at the Home News Tribune in East Brunswick. Michelle is a citizen of the United States.
Saabira Chaudhuri graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 2006 with a BA in sociology and philosophy. She spent her senior year abroad at the London School of Economics. Most recently, she worked as the multimedia editor for Mint, a New Delhi headquartered business publication that partners with the Wall Street Journal. Prior to this Saabira worked as the associate editor for FastCompany.com and before that as the associate content producer for Forbes magazine in New York. Saabira likes traveling and exploring new places, photography, dogs, yoga, and writing about issues pertaining to social enterprise and development. She is fluent in Hindi. She is a citizen of India.
Vivian Giang earned her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia in 2009. While she was at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, she wrote for the campus newspaper and interned at a local government campaign, Tuner Broadcasting and CNN. After undergrad, she moved to Colorado and snowboarded while working as a media consultant for a recycling company. Vivian enjoys writing, reading, old Hollywood movies, and good music.
Christine Jenkins graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Costa Rica in 2009. She has been enrolled since then in the post-graduate Economics program at the university while working as an intern at El Financiero, a weekly financial newspaper in Costa Rica. Previously, Christine worked for a non-governmental organization involved in micro financing projects in Latin America. She is a native Spanish speaker and is learning Portuguese. She is a citizen of Costa Rica.
Dawn Lim blogs, has freelanced and interned for National Journal Group’s NextGov.com and Government Executive Magazine, reporting in Washington, DC on the business of technology, infosecurity and employee privacy in the federal government. She has reported, shot and curated content for BQE Media, a collection of hyperlocal weeklies centered around Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. She reviewed dance for Washington Life Magazine and did photojournalism forWashingtonian.com. She interned at the Straits Times, a news daily based in Singapore, where she grew up. She majored in English at Cornell University.
Chris Matthews graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University in 2007 with a B.A. in English. After graduating he worked in the publishing industry in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Chris spent the year in South Korea teaching English and writing about his experiences there. Since returning he has taught English to adults at the ELS language center in Philadelphia. Chris has many hobbies and interests including writing fiction and music, and playing the guitar. In July 2010, he toured Europe and played music with a folk group he formed while living in Korea. He is a citizen of the United States.
Thornton McEnery received his BA in English Literature/Creative Writing from Middlebury College in 2003. In the summer of 2000, he also attended the Middlebury Language Schools where he studied Italian before continuing his language study the following fall at The University of Florence. For the past year, Thornton has been a freelance contributing staff editor to several magazines, primarily at the Hearst Corporation. Previously, he was the editorial business manager at CosmoGirl Magazine. Thornton’s interests include theater, museums, restaurants, reading, movies, and the New York Mets. He retains “a rusting grasp of Italian.” Thornton is a citizen of the United States.
Jessica McHugh completed her B.S. in Journalism with concentrations in business and magazine writing from the University of Florida in 2007. In her junior year she studied in Barcelona, where she became enamored of Spanish food, wine and big cities. She has lived in New York since 2008 and has most recently edited for The Wall Street Transcript. Previously, Jessica worked as a copy editor for Current Biography and Rodale, and in college she freelanced for Florida Today and The Gainesville Sun. Jessica enjoys running, reading, blogging, traveling, scuba diving and making jewelry.
Bhuma Shrivastava received her M.A. in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics in 2005 and a B.A. in economics from Hansraj College, Delhi University in 2003. Over the last five years, she worked for two leading Indian business newspapers, Business Standard and most recently Mint. She covered the Indian pharmaceuticals, healthcare and media sectors as well as intellectual property issues. The Society of Publishers in Asia in 2008 gave her its award for editorial excellence in the public service category for a series on fake medicines in India. Bhuma loves to travel, cook, dance, paint and work on a potter’s wheel. She is fluent in Hindi, reads Sanskrit, and can nod along meaningfully when spoken to in Spanish. She is a citizen of India.
Sara Sjolin completed her B.A. in Journalism in January 2010 from the University of Southern Denmark in the top 10 percent of her class. Since then she has been enrolled in the graduate journalism program at the same university. Sara works part-time covering business at a weekly online magazine called “Ugen”—”The Week” in Danish. Previously, she interned at the national Danish newswire Ritzau’s Bureau, spending half her time at a subsidiary that is Denmark’s leading financial newswire. Sara enjoys travel and is taking sailing lessons so that she can take advantage of the waters surrounding her country. She speaks Danish, and is a citizen of Denmark.
Ella Zhang earned her B.A. in 2010 from Beijing Foreign Studies University with a major in Chinese Language and Literature and a minor in English. She also holds a B.A. in Economics from Peking University. In 2009, Ella worked as an intern for Hexun.com, one of the top websites specializing in business and economic reporting in China for two months, during which time she first came to know what journalism is really about. She enjoys traveling and experiencing cultural differences. Given her passion for Southeast Asian and East Asian culture, Ella’s career goal is to report on Asia. She is fluent in Mandarin. She is a citizen of China.