Pennsylvania

Isabela Weiss

Isabela Weiss covers rural government for WVIA, the NPR affiliate in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Before moving to the Keystone State, Isabela worked as a local politics reporter for NPR’s WUGA News in Athens, Georgia. At WUGA, Weiss mostly covered housing insecurity, county finances and community issues. As the daughter of Israeli and Nicaraguan immigrants, Weiss studied political science at the University of Georgia to better understand identity relationships and political psychology. Her love of literature and her high school newspaper, G-Tracks, led her to get a second bachelor’s degree in English. She adds a special thanks to Martin Matheny (WUGA), Dr. Audrey Haynes (UGA), and Dr. Krista Bowen (G-Tracks) for inspiring her to chase her dreams.

WVIA Public Media

WVIA News is invested in local journalism and provides news coverage across television, radio and digital platforms as a joint-licensee station. WVIA is committed to ensuring a positive impact on the region and giving a powerful voice to the citizens in our twenty-two counties of northeastern and central Pennsylvania. With our mission-driven approach, WVIA educates, inspires, entertains and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures and perspectives to nurture community.

Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

Atiya Irvin-Mitchell is a Pittsburgh native who graduated from Chatham University in 2017 after studyingCommunications and Political Science with a focus in journalism. Over the years she has written forThe Student Guide to Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The New Pittsburgh Courier,PublicSource, Vice, The PLS Reporter, PINJ News, and BlackPittsburgh.com. Irvin-Mitchell is excited tolearn more about the tech industry in Pittsburgh and do her part to make information on rapidlychanging trends accessible to the general public.

Quinn Gablicki

Quinn Glabicki covers environment and the impacts of climate change in Western Pennsylvania for PublicSource. Before joining PublicSource, Quinn worked as a freelance photographer and journalist covering environment, politics and breaking news. He previously worked with PublicSource to publish long-term work documenting the intersection of industrial pollution, public health, and gun violence in Clairton, Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Quinn graduated from Haverford College with a degree in political science where he focused on populist politics and rising authoritarianism in post-soviet states.

Ashad Hajela

Ashad Hajela covers rural affairs for Spotlight PA, a collaborative nonprofit newsroom that reports stories across Pennsylvania. Prior to this, Hajela was a Stabile Investigative Fellow at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he investigated how parolees’ complaints are handled by the New York corrections system. Hajela started his career at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, covering protests following George Floyd’s killing, and the pandemic’s impact on jails and prisons. His reporting on Raleigh’s high-crime motels earned a top award from the North Carolina Press Association. Hajela also speaks Hindi and Spanish, and when he’s not working you’ll find him out trying new restaurants or taking dance classes.

Brooke Schultz

Brooke Schultz is a Statehouse reporter for The Associated Press in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Before joining the AP, she was a digital editor for the Delaware State News, and has covered education for the Newark Post in Newark, Delaware. A graduate of Washington College, Schultz was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper, The Elm.

Samantha Searles

Samantha Searles covers gun violence and prevention for WHYY, the major public media organization in the Greater Philadelphia area. Prior to joining WHYY, Searles was an on-air reporter for Suffolk University/New England Cable News and a contributor to Framingham Source, a news site covering Framingham, Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism with a broadcast concentration from Suffolk University. When she’s not reporting, she loves the performing arts, gardening and getting her dog out of trouble.

Sarah Huffman

Sarah Huffman reports on business and technology in Philadelphia for Technical.ly, the technology news network. Before joining Technical.ly, Huffman was an intern and then freelance reporter for Norwood News, covering local government and community events and organizations in the Bronx, a borough of New York City. She is a 2021 graduate of Fordham University, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and communications, and was an editor for the student newspaper. In her free time, Huffman is an amateur baker and enjoys testing new dessert recipes.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate and unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Spotlight PA

Spotlight PA launched in 2019 and is now the largest newsroom dedicated to covering the state government and statewide issues in Pennsylvania. Focusing on investigative reporting, Spotlight PA, a nonprofit, delivers public service journalism at no cost to 77 newsroom partners throughout the state—a network that reaches 35 million people per month. Its journalism is changing the status quo in Harrisburg, the state capital, and driving meaningful policy change across the fifth-largest state in the country.