Cynthya was a sophomore studying English/Journalism and Sustainability. She was a member of the Honors Program, participated in the Interdisciplinary Track because she values experiential learning over a traditional classroom setting. To enhance her Sustainability education, she participated in the 2019 New Hampshire Social Venture Innovation Challenge. She was a Student Track Finalist with her Portable Feminine Hygiene Pack, a fanny pack consisting of a menstrual cup and cleaning supplies intended for distribution in shelters. To similarly enhance her journalism education, she was a Storytelling Fellow for UNH’s Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise, focusing on student spotlight stories and event coverage. To continue her journalistic work in the social sector, she was an Editorial Fellow at The GroundTruth Projectduring her Spring 2020 semester. She was excited to be a part of an innovative newsroom with the mission of reporting on underreported areas and issues of the world. Her work at GroundTruth will complement her ongoing research in which she will be presenting on “The Value of Diverse Consumption in Journalism” for the 2020 Northeast Regional Honors Council in Albany, New York in April. During her internship and through her research, she hoped to get her foot in the door of Solutions journalism, which reports on the ongoing responses to social problems. The importance of empathy and transparency, as well as the danger of division during the political climate of the 21st Century, is what fuels her to pursue this work.
