Ariana Joy Cobler, a CoJMC junior from Yokosuka, Japan, was recently named to the second New York Times Corps cohort. Cobler is one of 19 undergraduate students from across the country selected to participate in the talent-pipeline mentorship program.
"Being chosen to participate in the NYT Corps program is so surreal," Cobler said. "It means I'm on the right path and getting selected has helped me gain the confidence I need to pursue a future in the career field I've chosen."
The New York Times Corps launched in 2022. Senior broadcasting major Evelyn Mejia of Norfolk was selected to join the first cohort last fall.
The program pairs students from underrepresented groups in journalism with current Times employees, who serve as advisers and offer career-building advice.
Cobler, a journalism and broadcasting double major, decided to apply for the NYT Corps after CoJMC's career development specialist Natalie Becerra introduced her to the program during an exploratory internship meeting over the summer.
"The CoJMC helped me land this opportunity by providing me with ample resources and experiences," Cobler said. "I didn't know about NYT Corps before talking with Natalie and I'm glad I could learn more through that meeting."
Cobler also credits her CoJMC classes for helping her to create a cohesive portfolio through coursework, often allowing her to choose specialized topics that pertain to her interests.
One week after she met with Becerra, Cobler submitted her application to the New York Times—thinking she wouldn't make it past the interview process—and now she's begun goal planning with her NYT Corps adviser Ed Lee, the Times assistant editor for Trust and Credibility.
"I anticipate meeting with Ed many more times over the course of the next two years," Cobler said. "So far, we've talked about how to amplify my skills and discussed ways to introduce topics I want to report on in the future, like entertainment, apparel and media coverage."
Cobler and Lee will meet virtually two to three times a year up until she graduates from the CoJMC in May 2025. Lee reports on television, film and other communications areas related to the media for the Times.
"I look forward to learning more about very niche journalism subtopics within the NYT Corps and Ed's work directly relates to the kind of reporting I want to do," Cobler said. "I want to work in entertainment news and fashion textiles, so to be able to meet with people in that specific field of work will be very insightful to the overall direction that I am going in."
Read more about NYT Corps and see the 18 other members of this year's cohort here: https://www.nytco.com/press/introducing-the-new-members-of-the-new-york-times-corps/
