Dear Reader,

One of my favorite things to do at the end of each year is to look back at the highlights. I especially love taking stock of all of the ways our Maynard Institute alumni have succeeded.

The Maynard 200 Fellowship, the latest iteration of our professional development programs, is all about preparing journalists for the future. We provide exceptional training and mentorship to mid-career journalists of color with the goal of promoting their career growth and expanded leadership roles.

After their fellowship, alumni head back to their newsrooms, armed with fresh knowledge and a mentor to help them with their long and short-term goals. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our alums from Maynard 200 and beyond make big steps in their careers

Here are some recent updates:

• Michael A. Tennant, 2022 Maynard 200 fellow, won a Pharrell Williams Black Ambition prize for his work with Curiosity Lab, a creative studio dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society through products, storytelling, and experiences. 

• And just three weeks ago, recent Maynard 200 graduate Manuel McDonnell Smith announced that he accepted a job as Senior Editorial Manager at Yahoo.

• Amanda Barrett, alumni of the institute’s Media Academy, was recently named VP of Standards and Inclusion at the Associated Press. “I am excited to share that I am going to focus on two of my passions,” she announced on LinkedIn.

Believe it or not, these are just a handful of the exciting updates our fellows have shared lately. We also wanted to highlight the work of 2021 fellow Angela Chen, who was awarded an $8,000 grant to continue her coverage at Palm Springs’ KESQ of how the drying Colorado River and Salton Sea will affect Coachella Valley communities.

We couldn’t be prouder of our Maynard Family, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the year ahead.

Equipping the next generation of storytellers, leaders, frontline editors and entrepreneurs with the skills they need to succeed is core to what we do, and we couldn’t do it without your support.

Will you become a member of the Maynard family and help us to develop generations of diverse journalism leaders?