Welcoming our new team of student journalists

Ten UCL students have been given a fantastic opportunity to join UCL VPEE’s new Student Journalism Scheme – a year-long paid journalism training programme which gives students a chance to build a portfolio writing articles for UCL Student News and other channels. 

The successful candidates won their places on our 2022-23 training programme after a rigorous selection process, which saw 200 applicants compete for a place. Over the course of the year, the students will be trained in a range of skills essential for a career in the media or public relations. 

As well as being paid to produce articles and content for UCL channels, they will also be given the opportunity participate in journalism workshops and masterclasses with UCL's Media Relations team and gain experience working with professional working journalists, including from The Conversation.  

Kirsty Walker, Vice-President (External Engagement), said: “We are delighted to welcome an incredible team of talented student journalists to VPEE and are looking forward to supporting them develop their skills.” 

“As part of a global community, our student journalists will also bring a fresh insight and student perspective into our communications – coming from locations such as Hong Kong, Canada, India, the United States, Germany and France.” 

Meet the first UCL Student Journalism Scheme cohort here

Joshua Robinson, IMESS: History and Society Track Year 1 (second year spent in Krakow)

Hello, I'm Joshua! After spending two years living and working in St. Petersburg I came to UCL SSEES to further my studies in all things Russia and Eastern Europe. I had always thought about becoming a journalist or writer at school, but never really followed it up.

Witnessing journalists live reporting events in St. Petersburg in 2021 was inspiring, and confirmed for me that this is what I wanted to do. I practiced writing pitches and started freelancing for the Moscow Times in 2022. I am delighted to be accepted onto the UCL Student Journalism Scheme and hope to develop my style, writing and editing skills alongside my cohort! 

Suzanna Chen, 2nd Year, Arts & Sciences BASc

I am a second-year undergraduate student in the Arts and Sciences programme. As a Chinese-Canadian student with disabilities, I am passionate about bringing my unique perspective and shining a light on lesser-acknowledged topics as a student journalist – and hopefully a professional one in the future.

Through the UCL Student Journalism Scheme, I want to learn about good journalism practices, explore different niches within the field, and connect with and learn from talented peers and professionals.

Benjamin Bazley, Russian and Post-Soviet Politics MA

I am a postgrad student with an interest in all things political. During my bachelor’s degree, I gained some experience in writing articles, mostly focusing on the plight of climate refugees, but I am excited to further develop my toolkit and learn from professionals. During the scheme, I want to make news more relatable by exploring how distant current affairs affect students here at UCL.

Eleanor Corney, Third year, European Languages BA

I live in Dagenham with my parents and 2 cats, my biggest dream is to become a journalist and I love writing articles about East European politics.

I hope to get some essential skills for journalism out of this scheme, and I hope to bring hope and a sprinkle of joy to the articles that people read. 

Karthik Vinod, Science, Technology and Society MSc, STS 

I'm presently an MSc Science, Technology and Society student in the Science, Technology and Studies (STS) department. I did my undergraduate degree in Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. 

My passion for writing has extended since my school days, and I always attempted to skill up, whether in terms of research or just finding fascinating new topics just waiting to be explored.

By taking part in this scheme, I hope to develop further as a writer, learn with the cohort, and get a rare peek into on-going research and development at UCL.

Annika Schwarze, Affiliate Student, European and International Social and Political Studies (EISPS)

I'm studying European and International Social and Political Studies (EISPS) as an affiliate student in my second year. My home university is the Free University of Berlin.

While I was at school, I started my own music blog because I felt that there were only a few opportunities to get into [music] journalism as a student in Germany. This project gained some attention and enabled me to take part in several expert panels as the voice of young media professionals. Shortly before graduating from high school, I did an internship at the radio station of the public broadcaster in Berlin. After that, I started my studies in political science in Berlin and worked in parallel for a German TikTok channel that educates young people about political issues.

In September this year I moved to London. It has always been my wish to live in the UK for a while since I am a big indie rock and Britpop enthusiast. As I go to gigs almost every week, I feel very comfortable here and I hope that the UCL Student Journalism Scheme will open the door for me to possibly work in the British media. I hope it will give me the tools I need to improve my writing skills (even in a foreign language) and offer me the space to try things out and engage journalistically with issues I find important.

Marilyn Tan, Third Year, BA English

I'm from Singapore and have lived in the UK for almost 8 years, so I really do see both places as home. Over the course of my degree I've really enjoyed reading Postcolonial and Colonial literature, and I'm an avid amateur musician outside university – I hope to somehow bring these into the articles I'll be writing!

I've only just started considering a career path in journalism and I'm thrilled to hone my journalistic skills.

Rhys Guerrier, Third Year, BA History

I’m Rhys, I’m a third-year BA History student originally from South Wales, and I’m really excited to be joining the UCL Student Journalism Scheme for 2022-23! I can’t wait to challenge myself and improve skills like pitching and interviewing, and to expand my portfolio and reach larger audiences. I’m also looking forward to hearing from professional journalists about their experiences in the field, and any tips they have for navigating a career in journalism.

I’m a naturally curious person, so I also want to use this opportunity to write about things that matter to UCL students – whether that’s spotlighting people’s achievements (or indeed UCL’s!) or giving advice on navigating university life in London!

Caroline Coyer, first year, MFA Documentary Filmmaking 

I started my multimedia journalism career in my hometown of New York City, focusing on criminal justice, LGBTQ+ lifestyle, and local community stories. I recently graduated from NYU, studying Broadcast Journalism and International Relations. After graduating, I went on to work for the New York Post as part of Page Six’s video team. 

Although I am focusing on documentary film here at UCL, and I am excited to focus on my journalistic skills and meet a great network of fellow journalists. 

We are the future of journalism. With all the criticism the news and media receive today, it is up to us to redefine what it means to be good journalists, and I am excited to be on this path with the rest of my cohort!

Camille Koebel, Second Year, European Social and Political Studies

I see this journalism scheme as a great opportunity for aspiring journalists to hone the set of skills required for a career in that field. If writing good articles is essential, being trained to pitch them, edit others’ articles, and conduct interviews are really what can allow us to thrive as journalists.

I really want to take up this opportunity to write for UCL News to provide students with articles that feel relevant to their experiences, aspirations, and life, giving them a voice and helping them make the most out of UCL!