About the Interns

Justin Crowne attends Georgetown University where he is pursuing a Masters degree in Arab Studies.  In his free time, Justin likes to travel as much as his budget will allow, sing (even on the first floor of NPR), and go rock-climbing.  When asked why he chose to come to NPR for the summer:  “I’ve worked as a print journalist, and I enjoyed that.  But using sound to report a story seems to give it so much more life.  I thought it would be nice to help produce something like that.  Mostly I hoped to make contacts at NPR, and I was amazed at how much there was to the internship program.  I was amazed to see how many current NPR employees started out as interns.”

Simba Wiltz, formally known as Kevin A. Wiltz II, hails from Orlando Florida an attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar. Pharmacy, his major, is just the beginning of his interests. He enjoys physical fitness and participating in sports. In addition to being an active net-citizen with several sites, Simba enjoys writing and has completed a large body of currently unpublished novels, short stories, and poems. He came to NPR this summer, lured by great audio and a fantastic learning opportunity. Working with Radio Expeditions has been an exciting experience that involved "exposure to the world as an aural experience." His quote: "Now, more than ever, we need a renewal of great audio and NPR is the place to do it."

Justin Roberts attends the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  In his spare time, Justin enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling.  When asked why he came to NPR for the summer:  “I’ve listened to NPR my entire life, and I’ve always been impressed by its work.  In general, I’ve found that it chooses better quality stories and presents them in a well-rounded and unique way.  I’ve also found the intern program itself to be a very interesting experience for me.  I came as a legal intern, but I’ve also been able to learn a great deal about radio and meet some amazing people.”

Mirah Lim, a senior at Georgetown University, is pursuing a degree in English with a concentration in writing.  When asked why she chose to spend her summer at NPR, rather than going home to Jamaica:  “last year, I took a journalism class at Georgetown, and had to listen to NPR as part of the weekly assignments.  I was impressed by the high standard of reporting and writing on the shows and decided that if I ever had the opportunity, I would like to intern there…and so here I am!”  She would also like the world to know that “the people that work at NPR are overall the nicest group of people [she has] ever met in one office!

Patricia Carroll is a recent graduate of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Radio/TV Broadcast.  She is an intern in the New Media Department this summer and worked on the Gentrification story for Intern Edition. Patricia studies different religions and enjoys reading about African-American history. Patricia feels that her experience at NPR has helped develop her writing skills and exposed her to different aspects in her field of interest. Patricia looks forward to working in the D.C. area for a while and going back to school for an MBA at an area college.

Shaffy Moeel recently graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and a concentration in race, ethnicity and human rights.  She is an intern with the New Media Department this summer and is working on a story about Critical Resistance, an organization committed to resisting the prison industrial complex, for Intern Edition. Shaffy has been involved in radio production with Youth Radio, a non-profit radio journalism training program for youth in Berkeley, California since 1995.  She looks forward to attending law school in the near future focusing on human rights or immigration law.

Audie Cornish is a senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  After graduating from UM this year, Audie will take her Journalism/International Relations degree and blaze a path to the Pulitzer, or the want ads, which ever comes first. She divides her time between News departments at her campus radio station, WMUA and NPR member station WFCR. This summer she served as executive producer for “Intern Edition.” She claims, that she “loves radio” and that, “she can’t do anything else.” Her other liberal arts passions include reading, going to plays and the occasional campus protest. “NPR offers depth, those of us with delusions of grandeur can’t resist it.”

Julie Jurgens (Jazz Unit Intern) was born and raised in Thomson, Illinois, the "Melon Capitol of the World." In June of 2001 she will graduate from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA, in June of 2001 with an English major. In her waking hours she enjoys playing jazz trumpet, attempting to be a playwright and composing mangy, cathartic songs on the guitar. She was lured to NPR by the siren's song of jazz. Of NPR she says, "I love jazz, and since NPR is 'Where Jazz Lives', I was glad to be a favored houseguest for a few jazz-erific weeks." Her long term goals include conquering all media and eventually being featured as a wax work in Madame Tussaud's in London.   

Eve Troeh spent her summer 2000 as Susan Stamberg's Intern.  A Missouri native and a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (where she majored in print journalism and anthropology), Eve cast off the sunshine and freeways of L.A. to get some of that east coast charm she'd heard so much about.  She's thrilled at the chance to see the sites (especially the art galleries) and become a seasoned user of public transportation.  At NPR, she's found the folks to be intriguing, insightful and intelligent, and the bagels always fresh.

Andrea K. Valdez is a Texan through and through. No, she doesn't ride a horse to her classes at the University of Texas at Austin, but has lived there since birth.  One of Andy's claims to fame is that she is a pre-fertility-drug-triplet. Her obsessions include school (she will be entering her 5th and final year as a journalism and history student), music (anything with a good beat and/or synthesizers), food (anything that is difficult to pronounce and never walked), and traveling.  Her fixation on working for NPR flourished during a 6500-mile drive from Austin to Vancouver in a car with no cassette player.

Michael Kavanagh began listening to NPR as a wee baby in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Today, when he is not listening to NPR he reads books and writes fiction. "I decided to work for NPR when i was in high school," the 22 year old recently said in a rare interview. "I was working at a Catholic monastery where I wasn't supposed to talk much. So I listened to public radio from seven in the morning until six in the afternoon. It was the most interesting summer an otherwise long, vile life full of existential ennui. That autumn, I told my mother if I didn't become a rock star, I wanted to work for NPR." Mr. Kavanagh is a recent graduate of Yale College. He studied literature and philosophy with David Caputo.  His biography is based on a true story.

Mandi Matz will graduate from UCLA with an MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) in the spring of 2001.  She currently holds a BA in Print Journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.  She likes to read (which is a big surprise, given her academic choices), loves movies, and has been teaching herself to cook for the last few years.  Mandi wanted to come to NPR after hearing Terry Gross interview Mel Brooks on Fresh Air about 10 years ago.  “I was listening at work and laughed so hard I caused a disturbance in my office.  I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Alex Boekelheide is going to be a senior at the University of Southern California this fall, finishing his BFA in Acting.  When he's not on stage in the spotlight, he can be found behind the scenes at theatres around Los Angeles, or maybe on the mountain, enjoying a relaxing schuss.  He also dabbles in "The Simpsons" arcana and is a big fan of challenging his roommates to games of MarioKart and racquetball.  Alex came to NPR to work for an organization he literally grew up with--some of his earliest memories are hazy recollections of the All Things Considered theme song.  He says, "One of the most exciting parts of working at NPR is riding in the elevator with Bob Edwards."  Alex is happy to report that he has had the luck to experience TWO of these rides.

Beverly Cheng, a journalism and psychology major at Northwestern University, is also known as Bev, Bev-ly, or, on very rare occasions, as Buffy (not related to the Vampire Slayer). Her special skill is the ability to speak three languages. In her spare time, Beverly collects postage stamps, plays piano and makes scrapbooks reflecting her obsession with Tom Cruise. Beverly is at NPR this summer to learn how all these renowned shows are put together, and also to prepare for a possible journalism career after she graduates in two years.

Jennifer Teocharoen is a junior at the University of Richmond, studying Management Information Systems and Accounting in the McIntire School of Commerce.  On her own time, Jennifer likes to sing, play the piano, play sports (basketball in particular), and SHOP (surprise, surprise).  When asked why she chose an internship with NPR:  “I worked here last year as a temp for Member Services and really enjoyed the atmosphere, the people, and the experience that I got from it.  In addition, I have been quite familiar with NPR since I was little since my father works here in the Information Technology department.”  Jennifer spent her summer in Business Affairs at NPR. 

Jonathan Robert Mitchell attended the University of Oregon; majoring in English, Political Science, and Sociology.  He currently attends Harvard Law School, where he intends to one day discover a tunnel to the multi-billion dollar endowment fund. When asked about his hobbies: "So to answer your question, I have no hobbies."  Jonathan came to NPR for the summer because he wanted to get Bob Roberts, Robert Siegel, and Linda Wertheimer’s voices on his answering machine, and this was the only way to get through security.  When asked about his summer:  “I like NPR because people treat you differently once they know you work there.  

Erik L. Richardson, otherwise known in some circles as E-Double, “E,” and The Omnipotent One, attends Concoran College of Art & Design studying Graphic Design.  Erik didn’t actually choose NPR for the summer, but rather he was chosen.  When asked about his time here:  “NPR is a place that is a vehicle for various forms of media, that I could possibly explore and exploit in the future.  I am thankful for being given the opportunity to work in such a place.”

Tanja Hester is currently studying English Literature (dual Shakespeare and 20^th Century concentration) and Anthropology (concentration in Mexico and Latin America) at the University of California, Berkeley.  Her hobbies include collecting trivial knowledge, following world politics and news, watching old Twin Peaks reruns, collecting new tech toys, and savoring the nuances between one Starbucks and the next.  When asked why she chose NPR:  “I’m at NPR because it’s the one objective news source left in the world and we all need some social responsibility in our lives.  Plus, I’ve been an NPR junkie as far back as I can remember, and I just couldn’t help myself when I got the offer.  I still try to harbor my dream of going into radio journalism, and working here makes me think it’s still possible, even in this technological age.”

Lie Ying Loo is currently studying Music Engineering at the University of Miami, which makes her summer with NPR’s Audio Engineering department pretty much ideal.  Her hobbies include playing the piano, recording music, drawing, and web-designing.

Susan Myers is A.B.D. (All But Dissertation) getting a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology at UC Santa Barbara.  Her hobbies include oil painting, drawing, running, hiking, and making homemade bread.  She was awarded the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship to work for 10 weeks at the Science Desk here at NPR.  In her mind, there could be no better summer in the century to be a geneticist studying how science news is produced, since the Human Genome Rough Draft sequence was just completed.  She says:  “So far, one of my favorite experiences has been to match the voices I’ve been listening to for years with their actual faces.  I’ve also enjoyed going to a scientist’s kitchen for a ‘home economics-meets-biology experiment’ in which David Kestenbaum learned how to isolate DNA from an onion.”

Robin Amer, occasionally referred to as “Rabbit” is a member of the Brown University Class of 2004, with probable International Relations and Philosophy concentrations.  Her hobbies include running, painting, reading, listening to music, and going to yummy foreign restaurants.  When asked why she chose NPR for the summer:  “I am a public radio junkie.  I listen to NPR for at least three hours a day, usually much more.  I have the utmost respect for the quality of programming and journalism and I can’t think of a place I’d rather work.  Bottom line, I want to be a part of what I hear on the radio.”

James Robbins is a PhD candidate in European History at the University of California, Los Angeles.  He came to work with NPR’s Development team for the summer to enjoy the great weather and explore some alternative career possibilities.  When asked about his summer here:  “I really enjoyed working with the people at NPR because they have the qualities of patience, gentleness, humility, compassion, and consideration for all beings.”

Meghan Williams is her full name is , but a fascination with Japanese monster movies among her friends secured for her the screen name Megatron.  She graduated from Columbia University this May, with a major in New York City and a concentration in Campus Technology Assistance (she was studying to become a roadie).  In her spare time, a fascination with Japanese martial arts movies among her peers brought her to get a black belt in judo and a lot of equally lethal friends.  When not fighting for the honor of her school or destroying large metropolises, she pursues a course of raw ambition towards playing with bits of sound for a living.  Her life currently has meaning only because she can now slip bits of juicy insider NPR trivia to her parents and make them stop asking for a moment when she is going to graduate school.  She also owns a cat.

Jaimie Taff graduated from the University of Maryland in 1994 with a BA in History.  She is currently going into her third year of law school at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law here in D.C.  Her hobbies include traveling, reading, exercising, and eating out.  When asked why she chose NPR:  “I’ve always liked the programming – I think it’s the best radio around.  I’m interested in intellectual property and communications law, so I thought this would be a good place to learn more about these areas.  I’m happy to be working for NPR because it has such a big impact on people from all walks of life, and that has as much integrity and variety as NPR does.

Robert (Bobby) Carter is a recent graduate of Jackson State University in Mississippi where he majored in Mass Communications (broadcast production). He's originally from St. Louis, Missouri and chose to spend his summer working with the All Songs Considered team.  When asked why he chose NPR:  “I was a DJ at member station WJSU for four years.  I sort of ‘bumped’ into NPR and I’m enjoying every minute of it!”

Matthew Peters is a senior at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania, where he studies Communication, Politics, and Philosophy.  His hobbies include coaching youth soccer, public speaking (but only with good reason), movies, taking advantage of his high metabolism while he still has it, and watching Survivor.  He is well aware that the show is fake and worth no intellectual consideration at all, but Matt thinks that everyone should let go of that every now and then and just enjoy something.  When asked why he chose to spend a summer with NPR:  “I actually came to D.C. with no loftier goals than to do something fun and worthwhile.  When the opportunity to work for NPR came around I took it because I knew that I would like it, and my professor would love it.  I was right on both counts, but underestimated just how much I would enjoy this place.  I had the pleasure of working with some of the nicest, most helpful people I know; and attending workshops and brown-bag lunches that gave me insight into public radio I would otherwise never have had.  They also give away nice stuff to the cheap labor.”