Meet the 2023 Trendsetter Team

By Mariam Jalloh
Trendsetter Team

Peruka, an incoming senior at Heritage High School in Frisco, Texas began interning at Texas Metro News on June 20. She was selected by Professor Dorothy Bland and Dean Andrea Miller to attend a five-day workshop at the University of North Texas in partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund and then matched with the publication.

Through the Emerging Journalists program, Peruka got hands-on experience with various facets of the field; however, she has been immersed in journalism for far longer.

“Growing up I was the kid that was like ‘I wanna become a director,’” Peruka said. “I applied it towards journalism because it’s the closest thing I could get to cameras. So I apply my love for film towards journalism, to learn how to write scripts, edit, talk to people, get connections, and it’s helped a lot.”

Her interests led to her involvement in her school’s broadcast program where her video packages have earned her statewide awards. With her family hailing from South India, Peruka speaks Telugu in addition to English. Watching Indian movies strengthened her connection with her heritage and affinity for the arts.

“I think it’s really beautiful how people communicate with each other,” Peruka said. “I love learning about different cultures. Learning languages is something that I really want to do because I think as a journalist, it’s very important.”

While the North Texas native sees herself studying business in college, she will always find time to pursue journalism, even if it’s through a club. At Texas Metro News, Peruka hopes to gain insider knowledge and connections she can use in her future endeavors.

“Everyone should have the skills that journalists have,” Peruka said. “I’ve been taught and trained to push myself to new limits. There’s never a quiet moment. Honestly, journalism has led me to so many major moments in my life that my life would be boring without it.”

By Sruja Peruka
Trendsetter Team

Mariam Jalloh can trace her love for journalism back to a tradition started by her father, a regular MSNBC viewer. Routinely watching the program together created a childhood admiration for Rachel Maddow and her reporting.

“I really like the way she told the news and the way she would give so much background and context to make it really understandable,” Jalloh said. “She made it feel like it was a story and that might have been a sub-conscious reason for me to take a journalism class.”

Jalloh is a summer intern at Texas Metro News. A rising senior at Heritage High School, she was born to parents of West African descent from Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Jalloh became part of the Yearbook staff at her high school, not knowing if her interest in journalism would stick but after two years, she will continue as the co-editor-in-chief.

“It’s always difficult trying new things and being new at something that you’re not familiar with and having to grow in it,” Jalloh said. “But, once you get to a point where you’re confident in yourself and your abilities, people will appreciate you for it and acknowledge you for it. It feels really good.”

She was recently selected for the UNT Scripps Howard workshop program for Emerging Journalists. In addition, she has gotten awards in journalism through the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and the Texas Association of Journalism Educators (TAJE).

When she is not in the newsroom or focused on her academics, she enjoys spending time with friends, discovering new restaurants, and reading.

Jalloh hopes to improve her photography and video skills over the course of the summer at Texas Metro News.

“I’m excited to work with everyone,” she said.