Welcome KUOW's 2018 RadioActive advanced youth producers

KUOW's RadioActive Youth Media is proud to offer our advanced journalism workshop. Ten graduates of our introduction to journalism workshop will spend the spring at KUOW.

During that time, they will gain advanced audio production and journalism skills as well as experience in community engagement. Our editorial team will do all of the research, interviews, writing, voicing and editing to produce their own feature stories and podcasts on topics of their choice. Our community engagement team will connect with our audience through social media and events.

Applications are open for RadioActive’s Summer 2018 Introduction to Journalism workshop.

Zeytun Ahmed, 17, RadioActive Summer 2017 Workshop

I'm a people watcher. I think humans are complex, nuanced and multi-faceted beings, which makes them intriguing to me. I am very interested in different people's perspectives and the stories they have to tell. I hope to create a space where the community can have difficult but necessary conversations to bring about mutual understanding. 

Zuheera Ali, 17, RadioActive Afterschool 2017 Workshop

I always have a hard time telling people about myself so I'll just tell you what I like and don't like because there's a lot. I don't like raw fish but I do like seaweed. I don't like the burning that happens when I eat spicy food but I still eat it. I don't like exercise but I exercise anyway. I don't like BTS but EXO is pretty great. I like the Godfather video games more than the films. I like Danny DeVito because he fits so much personality into four feet and ten inches. I like writing but don't like being told when and where to do it. I like making things and sharing them with wonderful people like you all.

Brian Freeland, 20, RadioActive Summer 2016 Workshop

I am first and foremost a poet, and I love to tell stories with my words which is part of the reason I love working with KUOW! I'm a huge nerd and can geek out about pretty much anything with anybody. I'm a lover of theatre, musicals, and of the arts as a whole. I am a proud Korean adoptee and love finding other adoptees to whom I can relate and with whom I can share my experiences. I love being a part of my community, in any and all ways that I can. I am still unsure about which direction I want my life to take but I'm sure whatever I decide to do, I'll love it. 

Surya Hendry, 17, RadioActive Summer 2016 Workshop

I'm a big fan of journalism, storytelling, planting trees and investigating tide pools. I invest a lot of my time in my school's newspaper, and many more hours float away when I'm caught up in a really good book or podcast. I see every big project I undertake as a way to improve my ability to uplift myself and others. I'm so excited to learn how journalists can play a bigger role in their communities! 

Maya Konz, 18, RadioActive Summer 2016 Workshop

In my first bio for RadioActive, I said that it takes me longer to connect the dots, but I never truly explained why. It's because I have some conditions that I am working on, but the reason I bring this up is because I truly believe that people have a reason for why they do the things they do. My goal is to dig deeper into those raw and authentic stories that people keep tucked away and help them share their stories, along with my own. I guess I should list some things about me. I sing and write songs with my left-handed guitar, play sports, make films and act, and speak my mind even when I know I'm outnumbered. I am curious and love cheese so much I did a Spanish presentation on it.

Patrick Liu, 17, RadioActive Summer 2017 Workshop

My desire to tell stories through sound is rooted in my long-standing passion for a variety of creative media, most notably piano performance and composition, film, dance, and radio. To spread my love for the arts, I founded Redmond High’s Dance Club and co-founded Video Production Club. I possess a strong will to help and empower those around me, having worked with the civic empowerment organization Asian Pacific-Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment (APACE) and the international organization Team HBV (which raises awareness about and fights the Hepatitis B virus). These passions, combined with an interest in psychology and admiration for Serial and S-Town, inspired me to explore radio journalism. I hope to amplify the voices of real people through compelling and balanced reporting.

Aliyah Musaliar, 17, RadioActive Summer 2017 Workshop

In my free time (when I’m not pacing in a circle listening to the latest How to Be a Girl or Radiolab podcast), you’re likely to catch me doing some detailed doodles. I love animation and could stare at a Studio Ghibli scenery frame for hours on end. I’m also part of the National Forensics League team at my school where I compete in Impromptu and Extemporaneous speaking. I use my voice not only to get a few strangers to laugh but for activism as I am a leader in my school’s activist club, Activists for Change. Together with wholesome pals, we like to listen to Seattle Town Hall panels and debate over local and national issues. A huge part of my life currently is a civics class/club I’m in, known as “We the People.” I love to hear about the unique, yet sometimes relatable experiences of those I don’t know.

Alivia Thrift, 17, RadioActive Afterschool 2017 Workshop

I would describe myself as an ambitious and excitable bookworm. I've always loved to read, write poetry, make people laugh, skateboard and tell stories. I enjoy journalism because it allows me to talk to new people and learn about different perspectives and important issues. I also love to dance, play guitar, and travel. I hate math, improv, and close-minded people. I want to tell stories that help bring forth acceptance.

Jad Vianu, 18, RadioActive Spring 2016 Workshop

Throughout my life, I have always loved writing and storytelling. Because of this, I truly love the process of creating and sharing podcasts. Besides that, I have strong interests in photography, fashion, cars, and history. I split most of my time between Seattle and New York City, where my father lives, which has allowed me to explore two very different cities during my childhood and has helped shape who I am today. I am highly ambitious and hope to learn more about podcasting and journalism as I move forward. 

Diego Villarroel, 17, RadioActive Summer 2017 Workshop

I am an extremely driven and interested person. Those parts of me have fed my love for public radio, media creation, and journalism. I also have a surplus of hobbies such as photography, reading, video/boardgames, fashion, and recently aquarium keeping. I take joy in learning new things and dream of a world where knowledge is accessible to everyone. In the future I hope to study journalism and in doing so, change the ways people think, learn, and feel about the world around them with the media and stories I create.