PHOTOGRAPHY

Candace Dane Chambers

Prior to joining The Chicago Sun-Times, Candace Chambers was a freelance photographer and videographer based in Washington, DC. She’s contributed to The Washington Post, New York Times, AARP, Ebony magazine, and National Geographic TV, covering arts and culture, health and wellness, and spot news. She has served as an oral history videographer at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she produced a series on intergenerational activism over the course of a year. Chambers holds a master's degree in New Media Photojournalism from The Corcoran School of the Arts at Georgetown University, where she was awarded the 2022 Outstanding MA Student in New Media Photojournalism for "Watered", her thesis project on local Black women farmers. During her time in grad school, she was also selected to attend Eddie Adams Workshop Class of XXXIV and earned an assignment award with People Magazine for her story documenting a woman born with idiopathic epilepsy.

Emma Malinak

Emma Malinak covers the stories of Lynchburg, Virginia, for Cardinal News. Before becoming a Report for America corps member, Malinak reported on everything from climate change to child care as an intern at VTDigger. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from Washington and Lee University, where she was co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Ring-tum Phi. Malinak was the founding CEO of the Ring-tum Phi, Inc., a nonprofit corporation designed to secure a sustainable financial model and editorial independence for the student-run paper.

Hannah Shields

Before joining Daily Inter Lake, Hannah Shields reported on the Wyoming state government for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, covering health care policy, education and state politics, among other issues. She earned a first-place Pacemaker Award from the Wyoming Press Association for an investigative piece on special education in public schools. She placed third in the Top of the Rockies Award for a story on Medicaid in Wyoming. Her passion for journalism was sparked while taking Journalism 101 at a community college in California. From there, she transferred to Long Beach State University and immediately joined the student newspaper, where she served as the news editor. She interned at The Sacramento Bee the summer after graduating with her bachelor's degree in journalism and political science. When not writing, Shields enjoys dancing ballet, reading and listening to podcasts!

Chandra Colvin

Chandra Colvin covers Native News for Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) News. Born and raised in Minnesota, she previously interned for MPR News as a general reporter covering a range of beats and stories. She has freelanced for AMPERS Radio as a reporter and producer for Minnesota Native News and has contributed to the Minnesota Humanities Center’s project titled, “We Are Water MN.” In 2024, Colvin earned two bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and global studies from St. Cloud State University. She has contributed to student-run shows at the university as well as student-led newspaper, the University Chronicle. During her undergraduate experience, she studied abroad at Akita International University in Japan with a focus on ethics and rural studies. Colvin is Native American, and a proud member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa located in northern Minnesota.

Gabrielle Nelson

Before joining Buffalo's Fire, Gabrielle Nelson worked as an environmental reporting intern at the nonprofit publication Bridge Michigan, covering climate change, renewable energy and the Great Lakes. At Bridge, she broke the story on an International Energy Forum report about a looming copper shortage, which prompted discussion in the mining and EV industries. Nelson loves learning something new with every environmental story she writes, but before she found this love for environmental journalism, she wrote for her college radio station, Impact89FM, covering entertainment news. She also trained as a live DJ for the station where she often played songs by Pearl Jam and Coldplay. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism and minors in global studies and gender studies. Nelson hopes to combine her love of environmental journalism with her narrative writing style from entertainment news to tell the stories of North Dakota's indigenous communities and their deep ties to the land at Buffalo's Fire.

Vahini Shori

Before joining WBHM, Vahini Shori was a graduate student at Columbia Journalism School, where she reported on arts, culture, ethics, and criminal justice. Her love for audio blossomed while working at Kaleidoscope, a podcast studio based in New York, where she helped produce narrative documentaries on Amazonian chocolate, Afghan musicians, and turbulent space missions. She graduated from Rutgers University with degrees in Political Science and Critical Intelligence. As a proud New Jerseyan, “The Sopranos” is her comfort show. Vahini enjoys reading, creating Spotify playlists, and learning new recipes.

Daniel Schoenherr

Daniel Schoenherr is a multimedia reporter and recent graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism. Before joining Cadillac News, he reported for the Detroit Free Press through the American Communities Project, covering the cultural, socioeconomic and political shifts impacting working-class Michigan. At Bridge Michigan, he tracked municipal opioid settlement spending and helped uncover $90 million in unspent funds. Inspired by Bridge’s nonprofit funding model, he created and led a new role at the student-run State News—newsletter director—spearheading donation campaigns that raised thousands. Most recently, he contributed statewide reporting to more than a dozen Michigan news outlets through Capital News Service. Schoenherr first found his passion for local journalism as news director of WSDP Plymouth, where he kept the metro Detroit community informed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside the newsroom, he explores trails and waterways by foot, bike and kayak.

Megan Jackson

Prior to joining Marietta Daily Journal as a city government reporter in suburban Atlanta, Megan Jackson worked as an intern for the Macon Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Jackson also acted as editor-in-chief for her school paper, The Mercer Cluster. During her time as a journalism student at Mercer University, Jackson worked to tell stories researching blight and illegal dumping in her community, focused on school and educational issues, and researched pedestrian safety issues throughout Macon-Bibb County.

Amélie Horace

Prior to joining WUSF as an Audience Engagement producer, Amélie Horace reported on local news in Macon, Georgia. As a journalism student at Mercer University, she worked for the Macon Newsroom, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Macon Magazine, Macon Arts Alliance, and interned with local TV station 13WMAZ. She has covered local businesses, breaking news, community events, student programs, local and federal government proceedings, court cases, and profiles. In her senior year of college, she started a podcast on Waffle House stories, set to launch in 2025. She earned her bachelor's in journalism from Mercer University and was the campus news editor of The Cluster, the student newspaper.

Dilpreet Raju

Before joining Illinois Times, Dilpreet Raju reported on disparity in Illinois through a variety of topics including public health, criminal justice policy, and a burgeoning marijuana industry for Capitol News Illinois as a reporting fellow. His stories and photos were picked up by dozens of outlets, including some neighboring state media. Raju's passion for journalism began in high school while focusing on arts writing. He went on to graduate from American University in Washington, D.C. with a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. While studying for his bachelor's, he worked all four years on The Eagle, a student newspaper. Raju then pursued more journalism education, earning a master's degree in journalism with a special focus on health, environment, and science from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He held editing positions in both undergraduate and graduate publications.