Meet some of our past and present IndyKids reporters and find out what they’re up to now!
Meet Hudson!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2018-present.
How old are you now? 19
What are you up to these days? Social media managing for IK and going to fashion school!
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? A launchpad for so much. It sparked my interest in politics and made me informed about the world. I listen to Democracy Now! every morning, anchored in the memory of attending a live taping of the show when I was 12 and meeting Amy Goodman.
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? Interviewing the almost-first-woman-mayor of NYC, Kathryn Garcia.
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? Don’t ask boring questions! Try to break some news!
Meet Raya!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2015-present.
How old are you now? 18
What are you up to these days? I am attending college for biomedical engineering, but I continue to write a lot personally, mostly fiction.
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? IndyKids has had a very transformative role in my life. It exposed me to a level of responsibility and skills that I would not have otherwise gained. I learned how to communicate with adults, who treated me like a professional. I learned how to meet a deadline and how to receive constructive criticism on my writing. As I grew through the program, I had to learn how to teach the skills I had been taught, which proved to be harder than I’d imagined, but very fulfilling. They say you only know something if you can teach it to someone.
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? I’m most proud of my writing accomplishments, which include a Scholastic National Silver Medal, as well as the fact that I completed writing my first book this spring.
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? Always read, always write. Writing is such a useful tool, no matter what you want to do with your life. Developing and maintaining the skills you learn in IndyKids will serve you so well in every facet of your life.
Meet Adedayo!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2012-2020
How old are you now? 21
What are you up to these days? I just received my Bachelor of Arts with distinction from Cornell University and am starting the Sonic Arts MFA program at Brooklyn College in the fall!
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? IndyKids was key in developing a strong sense of justice and instilling the importance of diverse types of advocacy in me at a young age. I developed my reading, research, and writing skills while meeting and learning about people and organizations that did all kinds of work to build community and combat oppression.
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? I wrote a 100-page honors thesis for my Africana studies major on how Black women musicians challenge genre and, in turn, societal categorizations, and use their artistry to combat oppression.
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? Be yourself! Your unique identity as a writer, interviewer, and your personal interests are what will make your work stand out, and allow for more stories to be shared that might otherwise be unheard.
Meet Marianne!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2014-2018
How old are you now? 23
What are you up to these days? I’m a Ph.D. student in communication arts at the University of Wisconsin, Madison!
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? IndyKids was one of the things I felt really nervous about trying, but once I started, I was so excited about the articles I was writing and the journalistic process. Writing with IndyKids helped me explore journalism further and be brave about trying new and hard things!
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? I was published in the New York Times for another story I did around the same time I was writing for IndyKids!
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? The things you learn and skills you build being an IndyKids youth reporter are unmatched and will probably stick with you for the rest of your life—at least they have for me! Even though I’m not pursuing journalism as a career, I spend every day as a Ph.D. student thinking critically about the news and figuring out how to communicate my research to others. Pay attention to what’s happening around you, learn from constructive criticism, and be brave! Journalism is cool and important, and you are doing good work.
Meet Ashley!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2025
How old are you now? 14
What are you up to these days? I am getting ready to start high school in September at Northwell School of Health Sciences.
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? IndyKids has been a great resource in my life. It has helped me to meet amazing people and strengthen my writing skills.
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? An accomplishment I am proud of is graduating middle school and beginning high school. I know beginning a new chapter of my life won’t be easy, but I’m excited to create a future I am proud of and use the resources I have!
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? One piece of advice I would give to the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters is to always write with your heart. No matter how scary or personal it might feel, writing about issues that matter to you helps other people feel as if they are not alone. Sometimes, being vulnerable is the best thing we can do to connect with the readers.
Meet Brooklynn!
What year(s) did you participate in IndyKids? 2023-present.
How old are you now? 11
What are you up to these days? I graduated fifth grade. I like to write creatively and do acrobatics.
How would you describe IndyKids’ role in your life? I’d describe it as a positive role in my life. It has helped my writing drastically and given me tips on how to distinguish sources.
What accomplishment(s) are you the most proud of? Valedictorian of Class of 2025!
What advice do you have for the up-and-coming generation of IndyKids youth reporters? Don’t be afraid to speak out.
