The SJI Class of 2024
January 31, 2024

SJI Names 17 Students For 2024 Program

By
SJI Staff

The Sports Journalism Institute will train another large class this summer.

Seventeen students—nine men and eight women—will make up the class of 2024. The class will include two graduate students, seven seniors, seven juniors and one sophomore. 

This class matches the record high for a SJI class was 17, which has happened twice (2021 and 2023).

SJI was created in 1992 to help prepare women and minorities for summer internships. We welcomed our first class in 1993. Our 32nd class will convene for a boot camp at the Cronkite School of Journalism in Phoenix in early June. Upon completion of boot camp, this class will increase our graduates to more than 370. More than half of those alums still remain involved in sports media or communications. 

SJI will also welcome four new hosts this year: The Raleigh News & Observer, the Providence Journal, Naples Daily News/News-Press, and the Arizona Republic. Gannett outlets account for nine of the host newspapers this year: The Memphis Commercial Appeal, The Tennessean, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, The Oklahoman, The Detroit Free Press, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Providence Journal, Naples Daily News/News-Press, and The Arizona Republic.

“I am thrilled that SJI continues to thrive,” co-founder Leon H. Carter said. “Thanks to all who have supported us since 1992. Truly amazing. And a piece of advice to the 2024 class: Be prepared to work hard.”

SJI extends its thanks to both our media hosts for this summer and to the faculty and staff of the Cronkite School, which has been our boot camp host since 2019. We also extend our thanks to the NFL Foundation, which sponsors our scholarship fund again this year.

We thank those in the television, digital and print media industries who continue to donate their time and expertise to SJI. We also express our gratitude to long-time SJI instructors David Squires of N.C. A&T State University; Malcolm Moran, director of the Sports Capital Journalism Program at Indiana University-Indianapolis; Michael Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith and Lisa Salters of ESPN, and Tom Rinaldi of FOX. 

“We hear a lot of media bashing these days, as well as laments that print is dead,” SJI co-founder Sandy Rosenbush said. “SJI is proof positive that print lives on, and that the industry is finding new paths to give consumers the information they need and want. We are delighted to see our SJI interns playing an important role in helping this ever-changing industry find new ways to serve readers.”

The Class of 2024

Dylan Ackerman

Seattle Times 

Arizona State University

Graduate student

Josh Crawford

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Syracuse University

Graduate student

Tori Garcia

Dallas Morning News

University of Texas at Austin

Junior

Ahmad Garnett 

Detroit Free Press

Norfolk State

Senior

Lawrence Goss 

The Tennessean 

Florida A&M

Senior

Matt Guzman

Kansas City Star

University of Missouri at Columbia

Sophomore

Perla Peredes Hernandez 

Houston Chronicle

University of Texas at Austin

Junior

Matthew Ho

Southern Cal News Group 

California Polytechnic State University

Junior

Kamryn Jackson

Knoxville News Sentinel

North Carolina A&T

Senior

Wynton Jackson 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Hampton University

Junior

Olivia Janik

The Baltimore Banner

University of Maryland at College Park

Senior

Dhani Joseph

Yahoo! Sports

Syracuse University

Junior

Aaron Mammah

Naples Daily News/News-Press

University of South Florida

Senior

Sabrina McClain

ESPN

Arizona State University

Senior

Chloe Patel

Providence Journal

Boston University

Senior

Gracie Rawlings

The Oklahoman

The Unversity of Oklahoma

Junior

Shelby Swanson

Raleigh News & Observer

UNC-Chapel Hill

Junior

you might also like