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Meet our KUNR Youth Media students for fall 2021

KUNR Public Radio | By KUNR Staff
Published November 25, 2021 at 7:00 AM PST
A collage with four headshots. There are four high school students looking toward the camera and smiling.
Bob Zorn for KUNR Youth Media
KUNR’s fall 2021 Youth Media internship program includes (from top left to bottom right) Avery Thunder, Kendall Richter, Fiona Perreault and Kathleen Leslie.";

KUNR’s Youth Media program is training the next generation of journalists and elevating the voices and perspectives of high school students in our region. Student reporters produce interviews, audio diaries, commentaries and news stories that air and publish on KUNR. Get to know this semester’s student reporters below.

Avery Thunder

Headshot of Avery Thunder. She is looking toward the camera while smiling.
Credit Bob Zorn for KUNR Youth Media

Avery Thunder is a senior at the Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology in Reno. She joined the KUNR Youth Media Program in the fall of 2020 and rejoined for the fall 2021 semester. Outside of school, she reads, writes and creates films for her school’s video production program.

Fiona Perreault

Headshot of Fiona Perreault. She is looking toward the camera while smiling.
Credit Bob Zorn for KUNR Youth Media

Fiona Perreault is a senior at Reno High School and plays in the wind ensemble. She enjoys writing poetry and is even published for her work in The Showbear Family Circus. After high school, she hopes to study either history or journalism.

Kathleen Leslie

Headshot of Kathleen Leslie. She is looking toward the camera while smiling.
Credit Bob Zorn for KUNR Youth Media

Kathleen Leslie is a senior in high school and attends the Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology in Reno. After high school, she hopes to pursue journalism in more depth. With her fascination with storytelling, she wants to help other people share their stories and learn more about the world around her. 

Outside of Youth Media, Kathleen enjoys playing with her cat and figuring out the best way to manage her time before graduation. 

Kendall Richter

Headshot of Kendall Richter. She is looking toward the camera while smiling.
Credit Bob Zorn for KUNR Youth Media

Kendall Richter is a senior in high school at the Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology in Reno, and she is currently studying business. She has been writing all her life and has even published a novel. She considers it to be a main passion of hers. After high school, she hopes to pursue journalism or creative writing.

Outside of school, she enjoys reading, writing and traveling, and she hopes to one day bring all of her interests together.

KUNR Youth Media is run by staff from KUNR, Report for America and the Washoe County School District. Bob Zorn is the instructor, Lucia Starbuck is the editor and coordinator, Nick Stewart is a peer mentor, Crystal Willis is the digital editor and Michelle Billman is the managing editor.
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KUNR Youth Media KUNR Youth Media

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

Learn more about WCSD Internships and view the KUNR Youth Media Program’s digital flyer.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.

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