Introducing the Solutions Journalism Network’s 2023–24 HEAL Fellows
The Solutions Journalism Network is thrilled to announce its inaugural class of HEAL Fellows — U.S. journalists reporting on, for and with young people who are facing mental health challenges and healing through innovative community responses.
From San Francisco to Louisville, the 10 selected HEAL fellows will:
- (H)elp spread rigorous reporting on what’s working to address mental health issues and inequities;
- (E)xpand young audiences’ access to solutions reporting on issues affecting them;
- (A)ssess the impact of their solutions reporting in the community;
- (L)earn and teach others how to report on and amplify youth mental health solutions.
Meet the 2023–4 HEAL Fellows and learn more about their projects:
Alaina Bookman (Birmingham, Alabama) is a Report for America Corps Member covering violence prevention at AL.com. Born and raised in Dallas, she is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked as a journalist for the Houston Defender and as an archivist at the University of Texas Black Diaspora Archive.
For her HEAL project, Alaina will report on solutions to the root causes of community violence, and amplify resources helping young adults live happy and healthy lives.
Ambar Castillo (Queens, New York) is a community reporter at Epicenter-NYC. A 2022–2023 Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow at STAT, she reported on health equity. Ambar has won fellowships with the Fulbright program, Metcalf Institute, AltaVoz Lab, American Press Institute, Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, and others to help bridge coverage gaps. A former community health worker and educator, she credits LaGuardia Community College and CUNY J-school for helping her translate these lived experiences to inform her approach to journalism.
For her HEAL project, Ambar will report on culturally competent approaches to intergenerational trauma so young adults can thrive, embrace themselves, break cycles of abuse and exclusion and pivot from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance.
Eleanore Catolico (Detroit) is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in MindSite News, YES! Magazine, the Detroit Metro Times, the Detroit Free Press, BridgeDetroit, Planet Detroit, Chalkbeat, EdSurge, Eater, WDET, the Chicago Reader, South Side Weekly, and other local and national publications. She was a 2021 Maynard Institute for Journalism Education Fellow.
For her HEAL project, Eleanore will report on local efforts helping LGBTQ+ youth feel safe, embrace their identity and highlight the beauty of self-discovery.
Mary Hall (Chicago) is an award-winning reporter, producer and editor, with expertise in solutions, data and long-form journalism. She is currently the supervising producer for Change Agents, a community-informed, documentary podcast. Previously, Mary helped form the solutions journalism team at NewsNation; was a producer at WBEZ and an editor/reporter at the Daily Journal; and collaborated on projects with NPR, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Illinois Answers Project and YES! Magazine.
For her HEAL project, Mary will report on churches and grassroots organizations destigmatizing mental illness and addiction among young people, making mental healthcare more equitable and accessible
Julia Métraux (San Francisco) is a journalist whose experiences are shaped in part by living with a chronic rare disease and a disability. In May 2023, she graduated from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism with a concentration in narrative writing. Métraux is also a current fellow at Mother Jones.
For her HEAL project, Julia will report on the online communities helping chronically ill young adults and teens access the health tips and psychological support they need to thrive.
Indah Nuritasari (Philadelphia) is the CEO and co-founder of Indonesian Lantern Media. Indah has been a writer, translator, journalist and community activist for more than 20 years. She helped establish the first independent journalists’ association in Indonesia (the Alliance of Independent Journalists) in 1994, when Indonesia was still under the Suharto regime.
For her HEAL project, Indiah will report on what’s working to help young Asian Americans and Asian immigrants find joy, healing and support in their communities.
Leigh Paterson (Denver) is a public radio reporter who has spent the last decade in the West covering energy and the environment, firearms and now mental health. She has made podcasts and documentaries while reporting on these beats. Her work has appeared on the BBC, NPR, PBS, “Marketplace” and “Reveal.”
For her HEAL project, Leigh will report on what’s working to help kids gain access to behavioral health providers and other mental health resources they need to thrive.
Liza Ramrayka (San Francisco) is an award-winning independent journalist, mentor and educator with over 20 years’ experience writing, commissioning and editing social justice stories. She is a long-standing contributor to The Guardian’s groundbreaking Society section, which pioneered UK solutions journalism. She’s also reported for The Times of London, HuffPost, Al Jazeera, News Deeply, YES! Magazine and KALW Radio.
For her HEAL project, Liza will report on teen-led solutions to anxiety, depression and trauma and share what’s working to boost young people’s resilience.
Michaela Rush (Dallas) covers the South Dallas and West Dallas neighborhoods for the Dallas Free Press, a nonprofit news organization, and is a Report for America Corps Member. Currently, she covers a broad range of topics, from land use to education. Previously, Rush worked at The Battalion student newspaper at Texas A&M, most recently as the editor-in-chief.
For her HEAL project, Michaela will report for and with high school students on what’s working to promote their wellness and joy.
Morgan Watkins (Louisville) is the health reporter for Louisville Public Media in Kentucky and produces stories for its NPR member station, WFPL-FM. She started her career covering city and county government in Florida at The Gainesville Sun, and later reported on national and state politics, as well as higher education, for the Courier Journal.
For her HEAL project, Morgan will report on local-driven solutions to address racial trauma and help young people thrive in their communities.
SJN is building out programming, resources, and network connections supporting journalists to report on issues related to youth mental health. We invite individual journalists — and other aligned researchers and nonprofits — to indicate their interest in potential collaborations by joining SJN’s Youth Mental Health Peer Network.
