Champions of truth and democracy, the Tribune’s fall fellows are eager to represent and serve Texas
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With the start of a new school year, The Texas Tribune welcomes a fresh cohort of student fellows eager to make their mark in the news industry.
Our fellowships offer a unique opportunity for students to gain practical experience while serving the public. For many, their motivation is deeply personal: They are driven to support democratic processes by ensuring Texas communities receive factual, trustworthy information they need to make informed decisions.
“I value creativity, truth and human connection,” said Amani Ahmad, an Austin-based marketing and communications fellow. “The Texas Tribune represents everything I believe in — journalism that informs the masses and holds power accountable. I want to ensure stories reach the people who need them most.
"In a world where misinformation spreads rapidly, the truth must be amplified,” said Ahmad, a University of Texas advertising and sociology double major.
The Tribune offers paid fellowships for college students whose efforts make impactful contributions across the organization. These students support our signature events, including the Texas Tribune Festival, and provide in-depth coverage of key issues, such as the legislative session, elections, education, and the environment.
“The program provides students and recent graduates with real-world experience in a robust news agency,” said Brandon Formby, managing editor for news and state affairs. “Yet the Tribune benefits greatly from the stellar work, fresh energy and varied perspectives of the fellows."
Photography fellow and UT senior Manoo Sirivelu has roots in South India and said he values the visual storytelling of culture and politics. "I long to respectfully represent the vastly diverse populations and environments that have shaped me," he said. "I've now found my roots in the state of Texas and continue to explore the stories of my family and their immigrant journeys in the diverse North Texas suburbs I now call home."
Kristen Su, a senior computer science major at the University of Michigan, will focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning during her fellowship. She said she plans to use her software engineering training to help newsrooms because “building technology that will positively impact readers — and carefully considering the context in which it will be used — is what motivates me.”
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Our fellowships are valuable learning experiences, providing part-time work during the spring and fall semesters and full-time positions over the summer break. We offer a diverse range of roles, including:
- AI & Machine Learning
- Data Visuals
- Engagement
- Events
- Marketing & Communications
- Photography
- Product Development
- Production Design
- Reporting (in Texas and Washington, D.C.)
Learn more about the Tribune's fellowship program and explore the impressive work of our current fellows here.
The Tribune's fellowship program is possible thanks to the generous support of our donors. We extend our sincere gratitude to organizations like the Dallas Press Club Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation and individuals, including Martin Taylor and Cheryl and Jim George, whose contributions have established named fellowships and significantly expanded opportunities for aspiring journalists.
College Station-based reporting fellow Nicholas Gutteridge said he is keen to write stories about the impacts of the policies passed in the Texas Capitol.
“It's one thing to write about the Texas legislature's new priority and another entirely to dive into how that affects families in Brownsville, Fort Worth or Austin,” he said. “Understanding the power I have to change the world positively is what keeps me going.”
Meet the Tribune’s fall fellows:
Amani Ahmad is a marketing and communications fellow based in Austin. She is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying advertising and sociology. Amani serves as an art director in Texas Creative, a world-renowned creative advertising portfolio program based in the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations, and as a researcher with the Computational Media Lab, where she works to uncover algorithmic bias. She has also worked as a brand consultant and communications intern for various organizations. In her free time, she enjoys creating visual art.
Sofia Alvarado is an Austin-based events fellow. She is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in journalism and minoring in entrepreneurship and fashion and consumer science. She was born in Venezuela and is a native Spanish speaker. She loves her new puppy, Suki, and is looking forward to positively contributing to the Tribune’s mission.
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Lindsey Byman will be an Austin-based reporting fellow. She is a senior at Northwestern University, where she is double-majoring in journalism and political science and minoring in anthropology. She is the features editor of North by Northwestern, a student magazine, and she has reported for ProPublica and Washingtonian magazine. Her work has also appeared in Inside Climate News, UPI and Evanston RoundTable, and she has produced award-winning feature coverage for her hometown paper, The Local News. Hailing from Topsfield, Massachusetts, Lindsey enjoys running, live music and ice cream.
Marijke Friedman is a Washington, D.C.-based reporting fellow covering the Texas congressional delegation and political developments that affect Texans. Marijke, a senior journalism and politics double major at the University of Maryland, is the news editor of The Diamondback, the campus newspaper. She has also worked for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, Capital News Service, the USA Today Network's Design Center and Montgomery Community Media. She grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Nicholas Gutteridge is a reporting fellow based in College Station. He’s a senior studying political science at Texas A&M University and was editor-in-chief of The Battalion, the student newspaper. Prior to that, he interned at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Air Force Office of Public Affairs, worked on the Mays Business School's marketing and communications team, and reported for KAMU, the public radio station in Brazos County. Nicholas won the 2024 reporter of the year award from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and has earned multiple accolades for investigative reporting. He grew up in Los Fresnos in South Texas.
Olla Mokhtar is the Dallas Press Club Foundation fellow. Based in Denton, Olla will focus on audience engagement. She is a sophomore at the University of North Texas, studying journalism and biomedical engineering. A Sudanese American who grew up in Arlington, she speaks Arabic fluently. Olla previously was an editor for Tarrant County College’s student-led newspaper, The Collegian. She has had internships at the Fort Worth Report as a reporter covering the DFW community and at the Associated Press as an investigative intern in Washington, D.C., with the Ida B. Wells Society. Her most recent internship was with KERA public media in Dallas.
Manoo Sirivelu is an Austin-based photography fellow. He is a multimedia artist, designer and photojournalist and a senior pursuing a degree in Plan II Honors at the University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as a multimedia intern for KUT News and as the photo editor for UT’s student newspaper, The Daily Texan. His work explores themes of home, identity and community, bridging his Indian upbringing with broader global perspectives.
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Kristen Su is an AI/machine learning fellow. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she is a senior at the University of Michigan, majoring in computer science and minoring in user experience design. She works for the student newspaper, The Michigan Daily, and previously interned in the university's IT services department. She hopes to apply her skills for social good. In her free time, she enjoys running and watching singing competitions on TV. She speaks English and Mandarin.
More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 13–15! This year’s lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of “CNN NewsNight”; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today!
TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
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Information about the authors
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Andy Alford
Director of Recruitment, Training and Career Development
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