Our Mentors

Our mentors are twenty- and thirty-something freelancers, staff writers, editors, creators, and workers in the media world. We asked them to share a bit about themselves with you.

 

Pearse Anderson he/him

  • Ōtautahi/Christchurch, New Zealand (please say hello if nearby!)

  • freelance journalist, PR specialist, and tabletop game designer

  • interests: Climate, baking, labor solidarity, internet subcultures, getting more young voices published

  • fun fact: I make bolo ties out of secondhand items and stones, my Fordite bolo tie became my logo!

Elly Belle they/them

  • Brooklyn, NY

  • freelance journalist and writer

  • Elly is a Pun Enthusiast with a passion for organizing and advocacy, culture, and media. They also love cooking and baking, making picnics for friends, attempting to read five books at once, thinking about what we can learn from mycelium networks, and poetry.

  • fun fact: Elly considers themself first and foremost a scholar of all things Carly Rae Jepsen, and loves doing community organizing that centers getting resources to queer and trans people.

Kylie Cheung she/her

is a staff writer at Jezebel where she writes about gender and power at the intersections of politics and culture, with particular focus on gender-based violence, pregnancy, and reproductive justice. She is also the author of Survivor Injustice: State-Sanctioned Abuse, Domestic Violence, and the Fight for Bodily Autonomy, and is a California transplant living in Brooklyn. She is a lifelong James Harden and NBA super-fan and also enjoys writing (and tweeting) about NBA fandom.

Siri Chilukuri she/her

  • Chicago, IL

  • Environmental Justice fellow at Grist

  • My work is focused on the intersections of climate change, race, equity, labor, and housing as well as the forces that shape fights for a more just world. When I’m not working, I love reading multiple books at a time and then inevitably abandoning half of those books, crafting, rock climbing, and cooking. I am also an unapologetic fan (and critic) of Bollywood, romantic comedies, and the Chicago White Sox.

  • fun fact: I am a Leo!


James Factora they/he

is a writer, journalist and musician in New York. They are the staff writer at Them, where they cover queer and trans news and culture. His work has also appeared in VICE, Autostraddle, Slate, Teen Vogue, and more.

Lyra Walsh Fuchs she/her

 is Essays Editor at The Drift. Her writing has been published in Dissent, Food52, New York Focus, The River, Religion News Service, The Appeal, and more. She lives in Brooklyn with her two cats.

Xavier Lopez he/him

  • Queens, NY

  • Producer on NPR's Code Switch

  • I am an audio producer on NPR's race and identity radio show and podcast, Code Switch. Prior to NPR, I was at CNN Audio and NPR member station WHYY in Philadelphia.

  • Before working in journalism, Lopez worked in the non-profit world in Queens, NY, where he was raised and currently resides. He is a fan of the beach, long walks, sad music, cats, and raccoons.

Adam Mahoney he/him

  • Los Angeles, California

  • Climate and Environment Reporter at Capital B News

  • About me: When I'm not writing about Black life, I enjoy spending time with my family, kayaking, binging mindless TV, and exploring neighborhoods in new places.

  • Fun fact: Despite growing up in LA AND knowing how to swim, I've never been swimming in the ocean.

Bettina Makalintal she/they

  • Brooklyn, NY

  • Senior reporter at Eater

  • At Eater, I cover restaurants, home cooking, and food culture trends. My work centers on food, pop culture, identity, and their intersections. I previously worked at Bon Appétit and Vice's Munchies.

  • I spend most of my free time cooking or reading. 

Mary Retta she/her

Mary Retta is the education columnist at Teen Vogue and a freelance writer on music, politics, identity, and culture. When she’s not writing she’s crafting or frolicking with her friends.

Rainesford Stauffer she/her

Rainesford Stauffer (she/her) is a freelance writer from Kentucky. She writes Teen Vogue's Work in Progress column, and is the author of An Ordinary Age (2021) and All the Gold Stars (2023). Rainesford's interests include writing about work and labor, higher ed, organizing, politics, youth, and feelings, reading, and searching for cats to pet.

Noella Williams she/they

is an assistant editor at Apartment Therapy, but she frequently covers music, veganism, culture, fandoms, and identity. You can find their words in Teen Vogue, Washington Post, Uproxx, Harper's Bazaar, and more. In her free time, she's a DJ in Brooklyn and enjoys spending time in nature. 

  • Fun fact: I have two Pokémon tattoos! I've been a fan of the game franchise for as long as I can remember, and one of my favorite childhood movies is Pokémon 4Ever.