April 1, 2026
EUGENE, Ore. — Twenty-one student journalists from four Oregon universities have been awarded internships from the 2026 Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism.
The reporting and photojournalism interns will spend their summers working for news outlets in Oregon and southwest Washington. The program is supported through generous gifts from the family of Charles Snowden, a longtime editor at the Oregon Journal and The Oregonian.
The highly competitive Snowden program selects interns based on their passion for journalism, record of experience, commitment to ethics, and academic performance. The Snowden program is grateful to the 17 news partners that will host the interns.
Now in its 29th year, the Snowden program has awarded more than 420 journalism internships to students attending Oregon colleges and universities. The program is based at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). The universities represented by the interns include Oregon State University, Willamette University, the University of Portland and the University of Oregon.
“At a time when local journalism is more challenged than ever and also more important than ever, the SOJC is gratified to partner with Oregon newsrooms to match these outstanding journalism students with local news providers,” said Regina Lawrence, interim dean of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. “As always, we are grateful to the Snowden family for making this opportunity possible.”
Here are the 2026 Snowden interns and their news partners.
- Tarek Anthony, University of Oregon. Hometown: Evanston, Illinois. News Partner: The Oregonian, Portland
- Shane Balian, University of Oregon. Hometown: Pasadena, California. News Partner: The Register-Guard, Eugene
- Ryland Bickley, Oregon State University. Hometown: Harrisburg, Oregon. News Partner: The News-Review, Roseburg
- Hannah Bush, University of Oregon. Hometown: Napavine, Washington. News Partner: KLCC, Eugene
- Joseph Chiu, University of Oregon. Hometown: Pleasanton, California. News Partner: The Columbian, Vancouver, Washington
- Billie Corsetti, University of Oregon. Hometown: Sherwood, Oregon. News Partner: East Oregonian, Pendleton
- Ruby Duncan, University of Oregon. Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon. News Partner: The Bulletin, Bend
- Brook Ferris, Oregon State University. Hometown: Palmer, Alaska. News Partner: Salem Reporter, Salem
- Amelia Fiore, University of Oregon. Hometown: Littleton, Colorado. News Partner: Columbia Gorge News, Hood River
- Peyton Gast, University of Oregon. Hometown: Clackamas, Oregon. News Partner: Jefferson Public Radio, Ashland
- Leo Heffron, University of Oregon. Hometown: Portland, Oregon. News Partner: Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Eugene
- Stephanie Hensley, University of Oregon. Hometown: Healdsburg, California. News Partner: Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland
- Sasha Love, University of Oregon. Hometown: Arcata, California. News Partner: The Astorian, Astoria
- Mikayla Mesko, University of Oregon. Hometown: Portland, Oregon. News Partner: Street Roots, Portland
- Aishiki Nag, University of Oregon. Hometown: Tigard, Oregon. News Partner: Eugene Weekly, Eugene
- Reilly Norgren, University of Oregon. Hometown: Clatskanie, Oregon. News Partner: Salem Reporter, Salem
- Kalena O’Connell, University of Portland. Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii. News Partner: Forest Grove News-Times, Forest Grove
- Bayla Orton, University of Oregon. Hometown: Bend, Oregon. News Partner: The Register-Guard, Eugene
- Skeet Starr, Willamette University. Hometown: Portland, Oregon. News Partner: The Bulletin, Bend
- Saj Sundaram, University of Oregon. Hometown: Denver, Colorado. News Partner: Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland
- Brooke Taché, University of Oregon. Hometown: Murrieta, California. News Partner: The News-Review, Roseburg