Students and Alumni
Each year the institute produces seven to fifteen of the nation's top candidates for employment opportunities in the media.
Students accepted into the program work professionally each semester of their college careers and most carry a full academic load. Students get one-on-one mentoring. They receive job interview counseling and resume preparation training. They take part in seminars with area media professionals and develop a network of media contacts. They attend an annual retreat with alums of the institute who return to coach, educate and inspire the new scholars.
Upon acceptance, institute students are eligible to apply for journalism scholarships administered by Wayne State University and receive counseling in applying for external scholarships and internships. Students must major in journalism and may take elective coursework in almost any area of professional communication, including advertising, broadcasting, electronic and online media, graphic arts, newspapers, magazines, photography, public relations or radio/TV production.
"The institute is a great way to network before entering the real world."
J. Barber, producer of "How I'm Living" on BET
"The training, support and mentoring I received from the institute played a big role in my success"
Darrieth Chisolm Tarpley, owner of an Internet marketing and advertising company
ALUMNI OF THE JOURNALISM INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA DIVERSITY [as of August 2020]
Laurén Abdel-Razzaq - Digital Director, The Detroit News
Grace Aduroja - Senior VP & Chief Strategy Officer, The Walker Marchant Group [Wash. D.C.]
Louis Aguilar - Senior Reporter, Bridge Detroit at The Center for Michigan | Bridge Magazine
Lisa Allen - Executive Producer, Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren
Aaron Amos Producer, WXYZ TV7 (ABC)
Tony Augusty - Senior Media Consultant, JeffreyM [Seattle, Wash.]
Ruby Bailey - Executive Editor, Columbia Missourian at University of Missouri-Columbia
Angelique Soenarie Blair - Communications specialist, Arizona State University
Tim Carroll - Press Secretary, 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee
Mika Carter - Principal Consultant, Just Conversion Marketing, LLC.
Leah Boyd Cast - President, Cast Public Relations [Houston, Texas]
Nichole Christian - Independent Communications Strategist
Kayla Cockrel - Digital Producer, Detroit Free Press
Kenneth Cockrel - Founder & Principal, Ken Cockrel Jr. Consulting, LLC
Kimberly Cockrel, Independent PR and Communications Contractor
Mikki Bey Crawford President, National Sales Network [Philadelphia, Penn.]
Mae [Bashi] Daniels - Marketing Associate, Extra Credit Union
Howard Davy - Graphic Designer, MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Darrell Dawsey WSU Communications Director
Sonya Vann DeLoach - University of Michigan William Davidson Institute
Sharryn (Harvey) Dotson - Documents Specialist, American Airlines
Chris Ehrmann - Multimedia journalist, Spectrum News
Charles J. Ellis - Chair, Global Diversity Council on Diversity & Inclusion, Condé Nast
Rana Elmir - Deputy Director, ACLU of Michigan
Isaac Elster - Digital news editor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Al Elvin Manager, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Ese Esan - Communications Associate, GoFundMe [San Diego, Calif.]
Jasmine Espy - Assistant (Physical Production) at APA Agency
Ilissa Gilmore Gate House Media/Gannett [Watertown, NY]
Megan [Krueger] Guttersohn - Communications Manager, Corlears School [New York, NY]
Wonetha Hall - Marketing Production Manager, Women's Care Florida [Tampa/St. Petersburg]
Marquis Herring - Special Writer, Detroit Free Press | WWJ
James Hill Sr. News Director, Detroit Free Press
Lanard Ingram Jr. - Senior Media Relations Manager, Current Global
Jamilah Jackson - Content Creator, City of Detroit | CEO/Founder at Jaxon PR & Events LLC
Aysha Jamali - Senior Comms Specialist, WSU Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
Beatrice Katcher - Remote Project Engineer & Localization Manager [San Francisco, Calif.]
Cletus Lewis Jr. - Vice President, Public Relations at Detroit Pistons Basketball Company
DeAndre Lipscomb - Exec. Dir., Lake Trust Fdn. | Cmty. Impact Mgr. Lake Trust Credit Union
Shena (Penn) Mack - Senior Internal Auditor at Comerica Bank
Maisha Maurant - Human Resources Manager, Culture & Engagement, Beaumont Health
Latitia McCree - Senior Vice President Communications and Marketing at YMCA of Metro Detroit
Tenisha Mercer - President/CEO, Mercer Media Group
Maidstone Mulenga Communications Chief Officer; Dir. of Comm., UMC Council of Bishops
Kofi Myler - Executive Director, 20 Books, Inc.
Adorabelle Namigadde - Reporter & Anchor, 89.7 NPR/WOSU Public Media [Columbus, Ohio]
Darren Nichols Freelance journalist
Donyale Padgett, Ph.D. - WSU Associate Professor
Nicol Paige - Senior auditor at Ernst & Young
Jocelyn Parker - Director of Communications & PR, Minnesota Council of Health Plans
Juan Patino - Network 6 Program Associate, Detroit Public School Community District
Je'well Pearson - Senior Communications Strategist, DTE Energy
Sarah Rahal Breaking News Reporter, The Detroit News
Nargis Hakim Rahman - Freelance Writer
Aaron Hightower - Freelance Writer, Society for Human Resource Management
Jamila Robinson - The Philadelphia Inquirer
Natasha Robinson Navigator, Kalamazoo Public Schools
Gina Rozier - Director of Marketing and Communication, Downtown Durham Inc.
Kiran Saini Digital Producer, WXYZ
Debanina Seaton - Account Specialist, Rock Connections
Vidya Sekhar - Senior Security Service Engineer, Microsoft [Seattle, Wash.]
Akilah Seecharan Teacher, NYC Department of Education
Clifton Simmons II - Sr. UX Content Strategist, Allstate [Chicago, Ill.]
Monice Mitchell Simms Writer, director, producer at Apple Limited Ear Series
Kyla Smith - Freelance Reporter, Detroit Free Press
Jasti (Simmons) Smythe - Scrum master Elektrobit (Ford Motor Co)
Crystal Staffney - Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Teen HYPE
Mekeisha Madden Toby Writer, TV Guide [Los Angeles, Calif.]
Kim Trent Deputy Dir. of Prosperity, State of Mich. Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Bowdeya Tweh - Technology News Editor, The Wall Street Journal [New York, NY]
Alana Walker - Communications Specialist, Precise Home Health Care Services
Daniel Wallace, Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives Manager at General Motors
Carolyn Chin Watson, Director of Marketing, Methodist Children's Home Society
Ammi White - Strategic Consulting Lead, Strategic Business Consulting at Epsilon Marketing
Rasheda Kamaria Williams - Chief Empowering Officer, Empowered Flower Girl Company
Chrystal Wilson Sr. Exec. Dir. Comm. & Marketing, Detroit Public Schools Community District
Steven Wimberley Owner, Working With Wimberley
Hoda Salameh Winkler, Plan Associate, BeneSys, Inc.
Corri Wofford - Regional Director at United States Senate [Office of Gary Peters, D-Mich.]
Jordan Works - Engagement Marketing Lead, Automotive News