Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
The Sports Journalism Institute will train its largest class ever this summer.
Eighteen students—10 men and eight women—will make up the class of 2024. The class will include eight seniors, nine juniors and one sophomore.
The previous record high for a SJI class was 17, which has happened twice (2021 and 2023).
SJI was created in 1992 to help prepare women and minorities for summer internships. We welcomed our first class in 1993. Our 32nd class will convene for a boot camp at the Cronkite School of Journalism in Phoenix in early June. Upon completion of boot camp, this class will increase our graduates to more than 370. More than half of those alums still remain involved in sports media or communications.
SJI will also welcome four new hosts this year: The Raleigh News & Observer, the Providence Journal, Naples Daily News/News-Press, and the Arizona Republic. Gannett outlets account for nine of the host newspapers this year: The Memphis Commercial Appeal, The Tennessean, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, The Oklahoman, The Detroit Free Press, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Providence Journal, Naples Daily News/News-Press, and The Arizona Republic.
“I am thrilled that SJI continues to thrive,” co-founder Leon H. Carter said. “Thanks to all who have supported us since 1992. Truly amazing. And a piece of advice to the 2024 class: Be prepared to work hard.”
SJI extends its thanks to both our media hosts for this summer and to the faculty and staff of the Cronkite School, which has been our boot camp host since 2019. We also extend our thanks to the NFL Foundation, which sponsors our scholarship fund again this year.
We thank those in the television, digital and print media industries who continue to donate their time and expertise to SJI. We also express our gratitude to long-time SJI instructors David Squires of N.C. A&T State University; Malcolm Moran, director of the Sports Capital Journalism Program at Indiana University-Indianapolis; Michael Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith and Lisa Salters of ESPN, and Tom Rinaldi of FOX.
“We hear a lot of media bashing these days, as well as laments that print is dead,” SJI co-founder Sandy Rosenbush said. “SJI is proof positive that print lives on, and that the industry is finding new paths to give consumers the information they need and want. We are delighted to see our SJI interns playing an important role in helping this ever-changing industry find new ways to serve readers.”
The Class of 2024
Dylan Ackerman
Seattle Times
Arizona State University
Graduate student
Josh Crawford
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Syracuse University
Senior
Tori Garcia
Dallas Morning News
University of Texas at Austin
Junior
Ahmad Garnett
Detroit Free Press
Norfolk State
Senior
Lawrence Goss
The Tennessean
Florida A&M
Senior
Matt Guzman
Kansas City Star
University of Missouri at Columbia
Sophomore
Perla Peredes Hernandez
Houston Chronicle
University of Texas at Austin
Junior
Matthew Ho
Southern Cal News Group
California Polytechnic State University
Junior
Kamryn Jackson
Knoxville News Sentinel
North Carolina A&T
Senior
Wynton Jackson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hampton University
Junior
Olivia Janik
The Baltimore Banner
University of Maryland at College Park
Senior
Dhani Joseph
Yahoo! Sports
Syracuse University
Junior
Aaron Mammah
Naples Daily News/News-Press
University of South Florida
Senior
Sabrina McClain
ESPN
Arizona State University
Senior
Chloe Patel
Providence Journal
Boston University
Senior
Gracie Rawlings
The Oklahoman
The Unversity of Oklahoma
Junior
Shelby Swanson
Raleigh News & Observer
UNC-Chapel Hill
Junior