From the classroom to the newsroom: Meet the AFRO Interns of Summer 2025

By AFRO Staff

This week, the AFRO would like to take the opportunity to highlight the interns who worked hard in the AFRO Editorial Department this summer. These young people are the future of not only the Black Press, but the news media field at large. From health and education to crime and politics, the work of the Summer 2025 Interns has been instrumental to the AFRO newsroom. For that, we give a hearty AFRO salute!

Brian Simpkins hails from Fort Washington, Md. as a 2025 digital media graduate of the University of the District of Columbia. Brian’s previous work was published by USA Lacrosse Magazine, Blaxers Blog and HBCU Gameday. He’s also a proud member of the Baltimore Association of Black Journalists, HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. 

This summer Simpkins covered sports for the AFRO. Check out some of his work here.

Kendra Bryant is a mass communications major at Towson University, concentrating in journalism. She serves as the president and editor-in-chief of the digital magazine, Her Campus: Towson. She is also the arts and life deputy editor at Towson’s student newspaper, The Towerlight. 

Bryant has gained experience with Hearst Television’s WBAL-TV 11 News, The New York Times, CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth, iHeartMedia and more. 

This summer she covered education, business, politics, community concerns and arts and culture. She also made sure the AFRO had coverage of Buffalo Soldiers Day 2025. Be sure to visit AFRO.com to see the range of her work!

Tavon Thomasson of Capitol Heights, Md, is currently pursuing a degree in multimedia journalism at Morgan State University. He is honing his skills to achieve a dream of becoming an international news correspondent. He applied all of his academic learnings from the National Treasure during his time at the AFRO. 

This summer he covered crime, politics, arts and culture and more for the publication. Thomasson’s time with the AFRO was made possible by the Maryland, D.C., Delaware Press Association’s internship program.

Victoria Mejicanos graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in communication with an emphasis in multimedia journalism from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. While at the university, she served as both news and managing editor her senior year and web editor her junior year for the campus newspaper, The Poly Post. She has also recently completed a fellowship with Cal Matters, where she covered infrastructure and Title IX in the state’s higher education systems. She is a proud Latina and a California native who joined the AFRO as a member of The Fund for American Studies’ Summer 2025 cohort.
This summer, Mejicanos covered a range of topics for the AFRO, including two articles for Fibroid Awareness Month,politics, CPR courses for young people, community issues and more.

Ali Halloum, from Harlingen, Texas and is currently a senior at the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a focus in broadcast journalism. His background is in sports journalism. Halloum was placed with the publication as a member of The Fund for American Studies’ Summer 2025 cohort. 

This summer, Halloum covered the No King’s Day protests, immigration issues,sports, community and more for the AFRO.

Elijah Qualls is a rising Junior studying political science and journalism at Morehouse College in Atlanta, by way of Columbus, Ohio. His interests are in political theory, creative writing and analyses of monetary systems. Elijah joined the AFRO as a member of The Fund for American Studies’ Summer 2025 cohort. 

This summer he covered Black businesses, education, politics and more.

Marlee Jones is a rising senior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, majoring in journalism and mass communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in Marketing. Originally from Washington, D.C., Jones joined the AFRO as a member of The Fund for American Studies’ Summer 2025 cohort.

This summer she helped the AFRO publicize their upcoming events.

Kyndal Foster is from Baltimore. She currently attends the University of Southern California, majoring in Journalism at the Annenberg School of Journalism and Communications. This summer she aimed to use her writing to advocate for the Black community and give a voice to the unheard and underrepresented.
This summer, she covered the death of Bilal “BJ” Abdullah at the hands of Baltimore Police Department officers, Pride Month, and Baltimore’s A Taste of Summer event.

Nyla Adams, a native of Baltimore, is a third year Scripps Howard School of Journalism student at Hampton University, minoring in leadership studies and political science on the pre-law track. 

With a goal to be a respected modern-day activist, Adams  desires to build a career that allows her to address contemporary issues and advocate for social change while preserving cultural heritage through a variety of written and spoken media. Driven by a passion to uplift marginalized voices, Adams  aspires to be a law school educated journalist who advocates for change, particularly for people of color. 
As an AFRO News Intern, Adams built a portfolio of articles that includes coverage of politics, arts and culture and health.