Meet the 2022-23 Miseducation team
This year, 15 public high school students are reporting audio stories about issues in the NYC school system.
Introductory track students spent Election Day 2022 doing “vox pop” interviews in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park.
Staff Report
Earlier this school year, we welcomed our 10th Miseducation podcast internship cohort. The program, which has traditionally recruited a new group of students each semester, now runs from October until May. This year, we added an Advanced Reporting track for alumni of the Summer Youth Podcast Academy interested in sharpening their skills.
“As one of the first Miseducation interns, it's now a dream to be leading the program,” said Sabrina DuQuesnay, The Bell’s student programs manager. “While in high school, the internship gave me a platform for issues I was deeply passionate about. I want to create opportunities for students to share their stories and make their mark on the world. Every day at The Bell is an adventure, and I look forward to discovering new ways to support and empower the next generation of journalists.”
Ten introductory track students are reporting individual stories on the theme "Challenging the Status Quo in NYC Education.” Why do students have to take Regents exams? Why does school start so early? Why doesn’t NYC mandate sex education in public schools? These are just a few of the questions they’re digging into. Stay tuned later this year for the finished stories in the Miseducation podcast feed.
Advanced track students and instructors
Meanwhile, five advanced track students are collaborating on an investigative series about inequities in high school journalism education and the implications for school communities, the news industry and civic life more broadly. The project has received support from the Education Writers Association and the Pinkerton Foundation.
Miseducation fellows Esther Alatishe, Melani Bonilla and Abe Levine have been working alongside DuQuesnay, site manager Mira Gordon and a team of volunteers to support our student reporters on their journalism journeys.
See the full list of 2022-23 school-year interns below to learn more about our wonderful student reporters!
Introductory Track
Christina Adja is a sophomore at Central Park East High School in Harlem. She is a part of the Black Student Union and Glamour Gals at her school. If she is not at school talking up a storm, she is at home using her phone and adding more shows to her list.
Bree Campbell is a junior at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens. Attending the school for film, she is an active student in numerous extracurricular activities outside of her school–some pertaining to film and media, creative writing and activism of all kinds. Upon her prominent activism, she is passionate about combating climate change, gun violence and race and gender discrimination.
Bernie Carmona is a sophomore at Beacon High School in Hell’s Kitchen. He is an active member of a STEM program in CCNY. He has participated in other social justice internships. When Bernie isn’t at school and isn’t doing homework, he cooks for fun and listens to music. Bernie loves food.
Janina Guballa is a junior at Academy of American Studies located in Long Island City, Queens. She is the vice president of her school’s art club and a member of the bowling team. Her hobbies are playing the electric guitar (she is in the process of self teaching) and listening to music (her current favorites are The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys) but a lot of her time is consumed by school/homework/studying/after school activities.
Shoaa Khan is a junior at Landmark High School. She is a part of her school’s student council, on the varsity volleyball team, and one of the school’s student ambassadors. When Shoaa is not busy taking part in her school activities, she loves to read realistic fiction books and listen to music in her room.
Zainab Kuta is a junior at Bronx Academy of Letters. She’s in the debate team, participates in the sewing club and is a part of the Fencing team. When Zainab isn’t busy she’s listening to an audiobook while reading it going to Islamic school.
Denisse Merino is a senior in Leadership and Public Service High school in Manhattan. She's a member of the newspaper club of her school, and yearbook club. She loves listening to music, watching K-dramas, reading and cooking.
Jose Santana is a junior at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School in the Bronx. He's an online community manager, student advisor, and math nerd! When Jose isn't busy studying, you'll usually find him playing saxophone, taking walks in nature, taking pictures, or making new friends!
Tovi Tankoano is a sophomore at Marble Hill School for International Studies in the Bronx. He participates in the school Chess Club, Music Production program, Swims, and practices Economics. When Tovi isn’t busy studying or procrastinating, he loves to play games with his friends and read.
Nusrath Uddin is a junior at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. She is a First Tech Fund fellow and after school she tutors her neighbor’s daughter. Her interests lie in Science, Writing, and Law. When Nusrath isn’t think about her future or stressing about school, she loves to read romance novels and watch Grey's Anatomy.
Advanced Track
Wesley Almanzar is a Bronx Native and a senior at the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice. He has many interests ranging from movies, games, music, photography, and many other forms of entertainment. With some experience in podcasting, he participated in The Bell’s SYPA program during the summer of 2021. With the help of The Bell, he hopes to explore the world of journalism and what it has in store for him.
Jadelyn Camey is a 17-year-old hardcore New Yorker. She is a Queens resident and is currently a senior at Energy Tech High School. She is a student journalist at The Bell where she reports and creates stories. In her free time she enjoys to read, watch movies, listen to music and travel around the city.
Fredlove Deshommes goes to Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice and is currently in the 10th grade. In her search for ways to not only educate herself on the different social issues in her community but to also spread knowledge on how to rectify some of those issues with truth/honesty, she has stumbled on the world of audio journalism. In her free time Fredlove likes to read, play volleyball and hang out with friends.
Edward Mui is from the forgotten borough: Staten Island. He was first exposed to journalism through the Summer Youth Podcast Academy where he learned the power stories hold. In his free time you may find him playing volleyball, exploring places to eat and stories to tell.
Jayden Williams is currently a senior at Bard High School Early College Manhattan. He has been involved with The Bell through the Summer Youth Podcasting Academy since his junior year in high school. He is always looking to make new friends, is the leader of his school's Badminton Club, and loves playing basketball. Someday in the future, he hopes to become a data scientist.
To learn more about our work, including volunteering and partnership opportunities, email info@bellvoices.org.