This summer, leaders at Times of San Diego, Stocktonia and NEWSWELL worked with six reporting interns who produced dozens of stories across the communities they served. At NEWSWELL, internships play a key role in our mission to educate the next generation of journalists.
As we get ready to welcome new fall interns later this month, here’s what the summer interns say they learned and are proud of:
James Miller, Occidental College, Times of San Diego and Uptown News/Downtown News reporting intern. Miller covered homelessness and housing, including covering the controversy over a 14-story apartment proposal in Middletown. “I feel like I’ve picked up a tremendous amount of technical skills,” Miller said of the internship. “I also feel like I learned how to juggle stories, and that’s a big part of being a daily news journalist.” Find a collection of Miller’s stories here.
Hope Muñoz, Stocktonia reporting intern. Muñoz reported for Stocktonia, covering daily news and accountability stories. Muñoz’s work ranged from covering controversy at Stockton City Hall to the hunt for Wiggly, a missing potbellied pig whose disappearance caught citywide attention. “This internship has helped me develop my ability in writing quick turnaround daily stories,” Muñoz said. “This core asset will help me in future newsroom roles.” Find a collection of Muñoz’s stories here.
Madeline Nguyen, Arizona State University, Times of San Diego and Peninsula Beacon reporting intern. Nguyen focused on the cost-of-living beat. “My favorite thing that I learned this summer is being able to develop upon my data storytelling skills to help all San Diegans understand how rising costs are affecting their wallets,” Nguyen said. One highlight was a deep dive into hundreds of pages of city budget documents, breaking down new taxes, fees and other measures so residents could understand the changes and impact. She credits the Times of San Diego team with giving her the support and freedom she needed to grow as a journalist. Find a collection of Nguyen’s stories here.
Swasti Singhai, University of California, Berkeley, Times of San Diego and La Mesa Courier reporting intern. One story that stuck with Singhai was spending a week inside San Diego Immigration Court as immigration officers arrested people outside federal courtrooms and radically altered day-to-day operations of the court. “It was really interesting and also gave me the opportunity to do a different kind of reporting than previously,” said Singhai, who also reported for the La Mesa Courier. Find a collection of Singhai’s stories here.
Alexa Vazquez, University of California, Berkeley, Times of San Diego and Mission Times Courier reporting intern. Born and raised in San Diego, Vasquez got a “completely new point of view” of the city this summer. The internship took Vasquez from covering a small Hillcrest bar’s legal advice session following ICE raids to documenting the large turnout at the No Kings protest in downtown. “The biggest lesson I think I’ve learned is to make long-lasting connections with the people I meet in those stories,” Vasquez said. Find a collection of Vazquez’s stories here.
Gabrielle Wallace, Arizona State University, Times of San Diego, La Jolla Village News and Beach & Bay Press reporting intern. Wallace covered public health and health care issues and also got the opportunity to do a deep dive story into automated license plate readers and the privacy threats they pose. “I unearthed the fact that there was a data breach from the San Diego Police Department in that technology’s early days of implementation,” she said. Find a collection of Wallace’s stories here.
We’re grateful for the energy and fresh perspectives these interns brought to our newsrooms this summer, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to inform the communities they serve throughout their careers.
As our fall interns get to work, there’s no better time to invest in the future of local news – donate to NEWSWELL today.
This update originally appeared in our August 14, 2025, newsletter, which came from Nicole Carroll, NEWSWELL executive director. This version has been lightly edited for clarity.