The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Josh Di Fiore

JOSH DI FIORE

Intern, Alum 2024

Joshua is from Long Beach California. He has always loved sports. He has been playing baseball since he was 5 years old. Now he plays in high school at Long Beach Wilson High School. He is a senior and hopefully will go to the University of Nebraska to study sports communication. He attended WJMC 2024 and can’t wait to come back in 2025.

Lauren Devlin

LAUREN DEVLIN

Intern, Alum 2024

Lauren is a rising senior at Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School in Portland, Oregon. As a
2024 alumni and youth advisory board member, she holds her experiences, lessons and family at WJMC close to her heart and mind. At her high school Lauren writes and edits for the student news publication, “The Headlight.” She is honored to return to WJMC and is excited to continue her passion for journalism with the 2025 WJMC community. Outside of journalism, she enjoys playing basketball and soccer, reading and discovering new music.

Kelly Kalleberg

KELLY KALLEBERG

Intern, Alum 2024

Kelly is a senior at Roxbury Central School in Roxbury, New York. She is currently the
president of the National Honor Society: John C. Sweatman Chapter, as well as student council vice president, and treasurer of her school’s athletic club. She also plays girls varsity soccer and softball. After high school, Kelly plans on attending college to study public relations. During her free time, Kelly enjoys listening to music/attending concerts, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Ava-Rose Shaffer

AVA-ROSE SHAFFER

Intern, Alum 2024

Ava is a rising senior at Halifax County High School in South Boston, Virginia.
In school, Ava is president of FBLA, historian of student council, and a member
of peer mediation and YOVASO. She’s also won awards for being a part of
the competitive theater team. Outside of school, she enjoys logging movies on
Letterboxd, reading, writing, keeping up with fashion, and watching The Bear. In the
future, Ava hopes to become an entertainment journalist and has the opportunity
to interview her favorite directors and actors. Her WJMC days are dear to her and
she can’t wait for others to have the same experiences she did.

Leah Garofalo

LEAH GAROFALO

Leah C. Garofalo is a junior from the suburbs of Philadelphia. In school, she leads her school’s Critics and Awards program (Cappies team), co-founded her school’s Fashion Club, and is on the executive board of the orchestra. Outside of school, Leah loves dancing, exploring her town, reading, and creating music. She hopes to become a journalist in the future, and is immensely grateful for the experiences that WJMC has provided her.

Skylar Yung

SKYLAR YUNG

Hailing from Davidson NC, Skylar has always had an interest in journalism. After doing broadcasting journalism in middle school and yearbook throughout highschool, she’s intending to major in journalism in college. In her free time, Skylar enjoys listening to K-pop and Mitski while she works on articles. With a life changing summer in WJMC 2023, Skylar is so excited to come back as an intern.

Aashvi Soni

AASHVI SONI

Aashvi is a rising senior at Big Walnut High School in Columbus Ohio. Her WJMC experience was a major growing experience for her and she still keeps those lessons close to her heart. She loves to read, dance, and is a part of many clubs and organizations in and out of school. Her favorite thing to do out of school is hang out with her bunny and bake! 

Ellee Guin

ELLEE GUIN

Ellee Guin is a junior in high school from Gainesville, Florida. As a self-growth podcaster and social media creator for her high school’s student government, she loves to learn how media affects the individual as well as the community. She has a part-time receptionist job at the local gym, Gainesville Health and Fitness, as she has a passion for health and well-being. In her day-to-day life, she enjoys hanging out with friends and family, reading, and attending as many school events as possible.

Nithya Cheruvu

NITHYA CHERUVU

Nithya Cheruvu is a junior at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She is a varsity basketball player who enjoys traveling, cooking, gaining new experiences, and meeting new people. She volunteers through the Assistance League of Charlotte and is a member of her school’s DECA club. She aspires to be a sports reporter or a political journalist. Nithya attended WJMC in 2021 and is grateful to the program for helping her find her passion. She can’t wait to help others find what they love to do and is excited to be a part of the WJMC staff.

Elizabeth Stone

ELIZABETH STONE

Elizabeth Stone is a senior at Chantilly High School in Fairfax, Virginia.  She has been a part of many student publications and is currently an executive producer for her school’s broadcast journalism program. At WJMC, she loved connecting with other students over their shared interests. The program inspired her to pursue a career in media, and her next step will be studying journalism at James Madison University.