Nikole Valiente, who served as Editor-in-Chief of The Reporter from 2023-24, was one of 12 students selected nationwide to participate in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Student Project.
The initiative trains student journalists in writing, reporting and shooting and editing video during the 2026 NAHJ Conference and Expo in New Orleans from July 22 to July 25.
Participants will create content related to the conference. The work will be published through NAHJ’s student platforms, including their digital news site, Latino Reporter.
“I felt so grateful,” Valiente said. “For a long time, I wasn’t applying to opportunities because I felt like I wasn’t good enough or that I wasn’t going to get picked, so when I found out I got it, it felt rewarding.”
The 22-year-old was part of The Reporter from 2022-24. She earned first-place honors in sports writing, feature story and sports column from the Florida College System Publications Association in 2024.
“That experience shaped me as a person and shaped my character,” Valiente said about her tenure at The Reporter. “It taught me how to communicate with people, how to work as a team and the importance of delegating.”
Recently, Valiente won the $3,000 Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship. She will spend the summer writing long-form news articles about Harrison County in Kentucky, in partnership with the Louisville Courier-Journal. The fellowship begins on May 26.
Valiente graduated with an associate degree from North Campus in 2024.
She is currently a senior at Florida International University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism. Valiente, who is a contributor to FIU’s student-led media outlet Caplin News, aspires to become a digital reporter covering Hialeah.
