Summer Class of 2025

Each year a group of around 15-20 students are selected to be a part of the Mosaic summer workshop. These students share an interest or passion in journalism despite not all of their schools having journalism opportunities. Each student brings different experiences, talents and interests to the program. Learn more about the application process here.

Agamjot Aulakh

Agamjot Aulakh is passionate about writing and playing the saxophone. She joined Mosaic to get a feel for real-world journalism reporting, while also spending the summer refining her saxophone skills for her role as a rising junior in the marching band at James Logan High School in Union City. Agamjot also devotes time to raising awareness of mental health, by participating in the Mental Health Club at her school. Agamjot wants to travel the world and continue to form connections.

– Grayson LaBarreare

Alexis Carrillo

Alexis Carrillo, a 17-year-old rising senior at William C. Overfelt High School in San Jose, was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and moved to the United States at the age of 1. Alexis is an introverted teen who enjoys sports photography, specifically flag football. He is fluent in Spanish and likes sleeping, gaming and playing with his two dogs, Oso and Toby. He's the only brother in his family, with three sisters. Despite his calm and cool nature, Alexis said he is terrified of spiders, snakes and heights. In his free time, he can be found watching “Tom and Jerry” or listening to Matt Maltese, who blends indie pop and chamber pop.

– Erin Federigan

Angelique Alvarez Martinez

Angelique Alvarez Martinez is a rising senior at San Jose High School. She enjoys expressing herself through writing short stories and poems and depicts her ideas through satire and fiction. Angelique’s favorite pastime is spending time with her cats as well as listening to rock music. Next year, she is looking forward to writing a book with the help of her school's book club. She hopes to pursue a career in nursing to help ill people. Angelique was born in Washington, D.C., and is a fraternal twin.

– Sami Khan

Erin Federigan

Erin Federigan was born and raised in San Jose and is a 16-year-old rising senior at Silver Creek High School in San Jose. Erin is a staff writer for Silver Creek's Raider Review. She plays on the varsity volleyball team that went undefeated in the Blossom Valley Athletic League in 2024-25, and she plays for a club team, Academy, that will compete in a national tournament in Dallas this summer. She is an only child and lives alongside her two tabby cats, Snowy and Luna. She’s deathly afraid of butterflies, heights, and bugs.

– Alexis Carrillo

Grayson LaBarreare

Grayson has had journalism aspirations since middle school. She is expanding on that as editor-in-chief of her school yearbook program, a position she held her junior year and will reprise as a rising senior at Christopher High School in Gilroy. She hopes to study journalism at New York University. Grayson has a strong connection with her stepsister, and she says her boyfriend is her best friend. She is drawn to nature, photography and traveling. Outside of her academic achievements, Grayson enjoys collecting photo booth pictures and bringing home souvenirs from vacations. She said she tries to enjoy and savor every little moment.

– Agamjot Aulakh

Isabelle Ling

Isabelle Ling is a rising senior at Carlmont High School in Belmont. She’s a member of Civic Leaders of America and the Redwood City Teen Advisory Board. She is a sustainability advocate, drawing on her experiences living near the Redwood City coastline, which is threatened by rising tides. At school, she is part of the Scot Scoop News, where she serves as a staff writer, magazine managing editor, started the games column and leads the ethics and legal team, which ensures integrity in reporting. Isabelle hopes to continue exploring the intersection of writing and social change.

– Kaelyn Tan

Katie Pleitz

Katie Pleitez is passionate about her role in the California Association of Student Councils as a committee member for her upcoming senior year. At the conferences she advocates for marginalized communities and speaks out about issues that need change, such as helping English-learning students with peer-to-peer tutoring programs. She credits her AVID class at Mountain View High School with broadening her horizons, building her social and public speaking skills, and helping to create a safe community where she has found many friends. In her free time, she gives back to her community by crocheting items for unhoused people and playing drums at her church.

– Madeline Aristorenas

Lauren Uppal

Lauren Uppal is a rising senior at Del Mar High School in San Jose and will be one of the lead editors for her school newspaper. She is Punjabi, Chinese, Italian and German. Lauren has spent 40 hours a week in the same dance studio since she was 5 years old, training as a competitive dancer. She said dance has taught her how to be patient and principled. Lauren is interested in studying environmental science and public policy in college because she wants a career in a field she finds meaningful. She lives by a phrase her mom always says: “Be the better person.”

– Riya Minglani

Lizette Anaya

Lizette Anaya’s interest in journalism began with her love for stories and for her community. A rising senior at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, she leads the Latino Student Union, serves in the leadership class and dances for student performance clubs. Lizette also plays on the girls flag football team, which she worked to found to expand sports opportunities for girls at Silver Creek. Lizette feels passionate about immigration, policy and the environment, striving to become an engineer and make a positive impact on the world. As a self-described party enthusiast and social butterfly, she enjoys spending her free time with family and friends.

– Padma Balaji

Madeline Aristorenas

Madeline, or Madi, Aristorenas loves to explore new ways to express herself through art. Since she was little she was surrounded by various music genres and musicians in her family who have inspired her passion for singing with her friends during her free time. In her upcoming senior year at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, she will take on the role of assistant editor-in-chief in the journalism program. Madi is determined to grow her interpersonal skills through journalism and getting to meet new people this summer. Her other activities at Silver Creek include club officer for the Polynesian dance club and membership in the Filipino Student Union.
– Katie Pleitez

Naomi Kotani

Naomi Kotani is a rising junior at Aragon High School in San Mateo. During her time at Aragon’s school paper, she covered issues ranging from student marijuana usage to the local homelessness crisis. The topics have sparked her interest in investigative journalism, which she hopes to pursue in the future. At Mosaic, she’s looking forward to learning from experienced journalists and refining her reporting skills. In her free time, Naomi enjoys thrifting, swimming, rock climbing and listening to indie music.

– Sophie Luo

Padma Balaji

Padma Balaji's drive to succeed stems from her family's history of immigration from Southern India. A rising 17-year-old senior attending Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, Padma is editor-in-chief of her school's newspaper and editor of the feminist magazine club. She tries to reduce her carbon footprint through thrifting and composting. With a focus on mitigating climate change, she serves as co-chair of the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit. Padma is fluent in four languages: Hindi, English, Tamil, and Telugu.

– Lizette Anaya

Riya Minglani

Riya Minglani, a recent graduate of Prospect High School in Saratoga, looks forward to pursuing her passion for journalism and writing at Mosaic. Reflecting on her past four years, Riya considers high school a transformative period when she was able to learn more about herself, pursue her interest in journalism and create meaningful friendships and memories. While she is still planning her college path, Riya hopes to pursue journalism with a potential double major in political science this fall. Outside the classroom, Riya enjoys spending time with friends, riding her bike, going for a walk and teaching kids to swim.

– Lauren Uppal

Sami Khan

Sami Khan is a rising senior at James Logan High School in Union City. He is the school’s activities commissioner and president of Leo Club, a community service club. Sami hopes to apply his writing skills in reporting for Mosaic. He looks forward to reporting on what is important to him, including community-interest stories and national issues. In his free time, he enjoys teaching at the robotics club from his school. He enjoys working with his Colt Robotics team and planning community service projects with fellow Logan students.

– Angelique Alvarez Martinez

Sophia Luo

Sophie Luo is a rising junior at Irvington High School in Fremont. This past year was Sophie’s first time writing for her school’s newspaper, the Irvington Voice. Sophie is drawn to news reporting and writing because she likes the impact and awareness stories can bring to the community. Outside of journalism, Sophie enjoys playing the flute, running cross country and starting new hobbies. She hopes to improve her interviewing and reporting skills at Mosaic, and apply what she learns to her upcoming role as news editor for the Voice.

– Naomi Kotani

Edkary Suarez

Edkary Suarez is a rising senior at James Logan High School in Union City. She became more interested in writing during her sophomore year through opinion writing in her AP Language and Composition course and writing book reviews for Puente, a college-readiness program. She is excited that Mosaic will be her first time working on journalism. Edkary is involved with her school’s B4B baking club and mental health club, and she’s played saxophone in the school band for six years. In her free time, you can find her watching romcoms, baking, exploring the city and trying new matcha places.

-- Isabelle Ling