This fall, City Limits worked with more than two dozen reporting interns from high schools across New York City, who learned the ins and outs of public service journalism. Their stories, examining different aspects of the city’s housing crisis, will be published in the coming weeks.

For the past decade, City Limits has has operated a paid training program for New York City high schools students who learn and apply the skills of investigative journalism as they report on issues affecting their own neighborhoods.

This fall, more than two dozen young journalists are taking part in CLARIFY (City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth), with support from The Pinkerton Foundation, Harman Family Foundation and DJ McManus Foundation. Their stories, examining different aspects of the city’s housing crisis, will be published in the coming weeks.

Learn more about the fall 2024 cohort in their self-written bios:

Aliyat Aromire is a 17-year-old senior at South Bronx Community Charter High School. As the child of two Nigerian immigrants, Aliyat has lived in the Bronx since birth but hopes to travel the world. She spends her time in her school’s student government, gaming, coding, and exploring the city with friends. Coming from a low-income community, Aliyat has strived to connect other students to the opportunities and education they deserve. She hopes to use her experience in this journalism internship to improve her creative writing.

Zainab Azam is a 17-year-old senior at Edward R. Murrow High School. Her parents left Pakistan in search of a better life, and Zainab has been raised in Brooklyn her whole life. She is the eldest child with three siblings. She has a passion for criminal journalism and an interest in law, and wants to go into law and follow in her grandfather’s footsteps. She also shares an interest in art and media, writing poems and short narratives for her school’s magnet program. She is still young and figuring out what to do with her life, but whatever she decides, she will be extraordinary at it. Zainab’s main goal for now is to graduate high school and hopefully be accepted into her dream college. She writes to remind teens that their family does not define who they are.  You can always find Zainab at her local Dunkin’ Donuts.

Roberto Bailey is a 16-year-old junior at Hunter College High School, where he serves as news managing editor of the independent newspaper, editor-in-chief of the research journal, and public forum novice director of the Speech & Debate team. Passionate about journalism, Roberto hopes to learn more about how to use reporting to drive meaningful change and highlight the issues he cares about through his work with City Limits. He is particularly interested in exploring topics such as healthcare access, education equity, and LGBTQ+ rights. Outside of school, Roberto loves to try new cafés and spend time with his cat. He aims to pursue a future in both journalism and academic research, combining storytelling with data-driven insights.

Christian Chand is a 17-year-old Thomas A Edison Career and Technical High School senior. Born in Toronto, Canada, he lived there until the ripe age of 2, when he moved to Queens, where he has lived ever since. Known by his friends as a fan of the arts, Christian occasionally makes music, acts, and makes videos on YouTube. Through his involvement in his school’s journalism team, input committee, and science honor society, Christian tries to make an impact on the school and the local community. 

Kenneth is a senior at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School, where he is actively working toward his future goals. As an EMT student, he is developing skills to assist others in emergency situations while also exploring his passion for healthcare. Kenneth is a CLARIFY intern, eager to dive into journalism and report on issues that matter to his community. Outside of school, he enjoys playing soccer and immersing himself in video games. He aspires to become a pilot in the near future. Kenneth is excited to bring his unique perspective to the CLARIFY team and tell stories that inspire others.

Brianna Cruz was born and raised in The Bronx. She is a junior at Park East High School and is 16 years old. Brianna’s passions include speaking up for the community, representing underrepresented people and amplifying their stories through journalism. She wants to study law to make this world a better place, and do right in the criminal justice system. Through journalism, she wishes to bring awareness to underrepresented issues, and with a legal expertise, work to address these issues within the criminal justice system.

Habibatou Diallo is a 16-year-old senior at Bronx Prep High School. Born and raised in the South Bronx, she has encountered lots of diversity, which has shaped her perspective of the world. She enjoys learning about different ethnic backgrounds, with a particular interest in Korean culture, and enjoys immersing herself in various aspects of it. She enjoys reading dystopian novels, which is what sparked her interest in journalism. At City Limits, she hopes to learn more about her community and bring awareness to current events taking place worldwide that others may not know about. 

Yayateejan Dieng is a 16-year-old high school senior from New York City who dreams of attending NYU and earning a Ph.D., inspired by his father, who holds a Ph.D. in physics. Raised by Guinean parents, he is passionate about exploring diverse career paths, including applied mathematics, international law, and journalism. Yayateejan is deeply committed to giving back to his community and uses his writing as a tool to inspire change and address important issues. While still figuring out his future, he remains focused on education and personal growth, striving to make a meaningful impact through his work and aspirations.

Anne is a 17-year-old senior at Bronx Preparatory Charter School. She is the eldest daughter and has a twin sister and younger brother. As the founder of the GirlUp chapter in her high school, Anne is passionate about advocating for the widespread recognition of women’s health and the importance of gender equity in the Bronx. Her interest in journalism erupted from her fascination with storytelling, through journaling and reading nonfiction, as well as social justice activism. As a member of the City Limits team, she pledges to report on interesting and relevant stories impacting our New York City community. Anne enjoys listening to podcasts, creating fashion and mood boards through Pinterest, and cooking in her spare time. 

Daniela Flores Martinez is a high school senior from the Bronx who is passionate about learning to navigate the inner workings of investigative journalism and write compelling articles. Her interest was piqued after researching topics like poverty and corruption, which affect both her community and the world. Daniela’s motivation to present informative and accessible information to the public fuels her to pursue political science and law in the future. When she’s not volunteering with local parks and helping elementary school children, she spends her time reading books from authors like Oscar Wilde and Franz Kafka while going on adventures across the city. 

Lydinia Grandoit is a junior at the High School of Economics and Finance in Manhattan. She’s hardworking and determined, always pushing herself to do her best. In her free time she enjoys skateboarding and making collages, which let her express her creative side. Lydinia also loves reading and writing, using them to explore new ideas and share her thoughts. Through CLARIFY, she’s excited to learn more about journalism and improve her skills in telling meaningful stories.  

Nayem Jannat is a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School, where she’s been writing for the school newspaper for three years. She loves reading but is especially passionate about writing. Journalism interests her because it brings diverse perspectives together around shared ideas. Growing up in the Bronx, she’s always been around a mix of people and cultures, and she wants to make sure their voices come through in her writing. Jannat hopes to major in civil engineering in college. As a CLARIFY intern, she looks forward to learning how to keep her writing as factual and unbiased as possible.

Priyanka Joseph is a Queens native attending her junior year at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts and Performing Arts. Priyanka considers herself a storyteller through her art, acting, singing, and poetry. As a storyteller, Priyanka is able to connect with and understand others. When she isn’t being an artist, her nose is stuck in a book. She reads all genres, from romance to psychological horror. She also loves debating philosophical questions, which she is somehow always able to connect back to art.

Musfira Kashif is a senior at Beacon High School. She’s passionate about storytelling and excited to start her journey in journalism. Reporting for City Limits feels like the perfect opportunity for her to explore important issues affecting New York City. She’s eager to learn and shed light on the challenges facing her community.

Terence Li is a senior at Tottenville High School. Over the past three years, he has been actively involved in the school orchestra while continuing to explore his passion for fine arts, including cartooning and geometrical drawing. He can speak in six languages and is proficient in three musical instruments (violin, viola, and piano), which have strengthened his cultural and creative perspectives. He has also completed several internships in advertising, logo design, and office management. With these experiences, he intends to pursue a major in business management to further develop his skills and contribute to the business world.  

Anna Mariel Perez is a senior at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice. She was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the South Bronx along with her three sisters. Anna Mariel is very involved in her school community: she is the president of the Principal’s Advisory Council, vice president of the National Honor Society and assists with preparation of various school events. In college, she wishes to be as involved in school as she is now while also balancing her coursework. She hopes to become a journalist, lawyer and, eventually, politician. Anna Mariel wishes to pursue her passion of advocacy through diverse roles in life and career path. By participating in this internship, she wants to learn more about journalism and get a sense of whether it’s the right career path. She’s also excited to develop her writing, communication and interviewing skills. 

Nalani Markland is a senior at The Young Women’s Leadership School of Manhattan. She has a diverse array of interests, including crocheting, creative writing, coding, and fashion design. Nalani is also passionate about restoring justice and has future plans to study law. This, along with her aforementioned interest in writing, excites her to work with CLARIFY this fall. She hopes to bring attention and awareness to injustices in her home city.

Matilde Pendola is a senior at Millennium High School. Her passion for writing has been life-long, and in the future she hopes to publish her work. Inspired by the world around her, she often writes about current events specific to young people living in the city. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring New York City or giving her friends tarot readings. Above all else, she hopes that she’ll be able to help and uplift others, whether it’s through writing or her personal relationships. 

Gustavo Ponzoa is a 16-year-old senior at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. When he isn’t listening to music like Paramore, Slowdive, or Ethel Cain, he’s thinking about how to sharpen his communicative skills and gain new insight. Gustavo is editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, the Grizzly, and also serves on the Student Council as director of communications. He runs his own Music Appreciation Club. Although Gustavo is looking far and wide to study mathematics, physics, and neuroscience at university, his love for language of all kinds draws him to journalism. He hopes to use his time at CLARIFY to better understand problems facing New York City residents and how to find solutions.

Jenny Rosendo is a 17-year-old attending her final year of high school at Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences. Jenny was born in Queens to immigrant Mexican parents and raised her four siblings. With an interest in improving her community and a desire to make change, Jenny hopes to shed light on important issues regarding her beloved community. She has a deep love for the arts and humanities. In the future, she hopes to help people using biotechnology and other medicine. 

Steven Wang is a freshman at New York University, currently studying English and hoping to double major in Urban Studies. Steven’s interest in urban studies developed after visiting Syracuse, where he witnessed the inequality and social injustice experienced by marginalized communities. He hopes to deepen his understanding of these issues so that he can use his platform as a writer to spread awareness and advocate for change. He founded Urban Storytellers at NYU, a club dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and exploring urban challenges through writing, specifically journalism. Steven is a writer for NYU’s newspaper, Washington Square News, and has won various poetry, short story, and essay competitions. He is also an e-board member for Literacy Matters, a literary club focused on community service and outreach. Outside of writing, Steven loves to dance and has been an active member and leader for various dance teams in both high school and college.

Fanglin Xu is a 16-year-old student at Queens High School for the Sciences. Since she was young, she has loved the arts: reading, writing, painting, anything that involved creating. She joined City Limits to combine her passion of storytelling and activism, and to bring voice to writing. She strives to constantly grow and improve herself with what she learns from others.

Aurora Zhang is a 16-year-old junior in Brooklyn Technical High School. She has always loved to read, and is often found painting in her free time. She’s still exploring her future career options, but she’s been working on bits of a novel she never gets to finish. While Aurora is interning at City Limits, she wants to gain insight into the world of journalism and learn to create effective pieces of writing.

Isabella Mason is a 17-year-old senior at Midwood High School, where she finds intersections between advocacy and performing arts. She writes for Midwood’s ‘Argus’ newspaper and dances in a variety of cultural productions. Her devotion to social justice was sparked by watching docuseries and video essays highlighting the injustices she saw every day in her community. She is passionate about a range of urban issues, from redlining to gentrification, as well as exploring the world in all its pain and glory. Outside of advocacy, Isabella plays volleyball, gardens, and builds computers. 

Aniah Miller is a senior attending Beacon High School. Born in Manhattan and raised in Brooklyn, Aniah loves to explore the fun that the city offers, study film and television, and write stories. She has always had a passion for all types of writing, and hopes to major in a writing-adjacent field in college. She also wants to improve her writing daily by being more creative and expanding her vocabulary. Aniah has participated in social justice organizations, and hopes that many areas of NYC can improve, especially with the increase of power by younger people. 

Cheikh Seck is a senior at Bronx International High School. Cheikh is Senegalese by nationality, but he was raised in the Bronx. Fostering community involvement has always been his goal. He is interested in journalism because he recognizes that advancing human rights requires communication skills. Cheikh contributes to his school newspaper by writing about the flaws of our city. In his spare time, Cheikh likes to read novels, play soccer and hang out with friends.

Salsabeela Usmanu is a 17-year-old girl who was born in the Bronx. She is currently a senior who attends Bronx Preparatory Charter School and aims to go to college soon. She acknowledges her diverse Islamic and West African heritage and is learning to take pride in it after coming from a community, in the South Bronx, that expressed dislike towards her culture. Salsabeela is interested in a variety of topics, but mainly the well-being of mankind. This has caused her to consider the medical field so she can further her understanding of humans and be able to aid those in need. Her interest in journalism stems from her desire to give back to her community. After listening to community members and understanding their struggles, she hopes to use her writing skills to amplify their concerns and advocate for their needs.

Dehnver McGregor is a 17-year-old New York City resident. She’s possessed a passion for writing for about as long as she’s been able to hold a pencil. Prior to her time at CLARIFY, Dehnver has been involved in a number of programs centered around the humanities, covering everything from acting to journalism. She is also the president of her school’s Fashion Club and Visions Magazine—a club dedicated to showcasing the creative works of her peers. Through her writing and reporting, Dehnver hopes to contribute to the movement of bringing more diversity into the media.  

Dora Dulge is a 16-year-old junior at the United Nations International School (UNIS), with Turkish and Bulgarian roots. She has a passion for writing and research and is committed to international advocacy. In addition to her academic work, Dora is involved in Model UN and legal research. She is also part of her school’s non-profit club, UNIS UN, where she serves as the head editor for the journal published at the student conference. She is a dedicated pianist who performed at Carnegie Hall in November, and teaches piano in her spare time. Dora is eager to strengthen her reporting skills during this journalism internship while she prepares to study economics and law in the future.

Ishma Rashid is a junior at A. Philip Randolph Campus High school. She is very curious and passionate about learning. Ishma is keeping her options for the future open, but is exploring careers in the humanities such as journalism and law. Through the writing skills she gains at City Limits, Ishma hopes to spread useful information. In her own time, she watches Bollywood movies, reads romcoms, or explores the city with her friends.

Nora Kouyate is a 16-year-old junior attending University Heights High School. She has lived in many places across the world, but has spent the better part of her life being raised in The Bronx. In a community where opportunities are limited, she was exposed to the harsh reality of life early on. But it was that exposure that inspired her love of activism and hopes of pursuing a career in law. One day, she aspires to return to her community and give youth and those struggling an equal opportunity for success. She has dreams of attending Howard University with a pre-law major, and has buckled down on every part of her life to make these dreams drafts of reality.