2024-2025 Fellows

  • Brian Zayatz

    Winter 2025 Fellow

    Former Managing Editor of Easthampton, Mass. investigative alt-weekly The Shoestring. (More about Brian)

  • Tyler Jager

    Winter 2025 Fellow

    Master’s degree in political thought and intellectual history from University of Cambridge. (More about Tyler)

  • Kiran Johnson

    Summer 2024 Fellow
    Chicago, Ill. - Northeastern University (More about Kiran)

  • Cam Kettles - Local Journalism Project Fellow

    Cam Kettles

    Summer 2024 Fellow
    Dallas, Tx. - Harvard University (More about Cam)

  • Molly Reinmann Local Journalism Project Fellow

    Molly Reinmann

    Summer 2024 Fellow
    Chappaqua, N.Y. - Yale University (More about Molly)

  • Jacob Smollen Local Journalism Project Fellowship

    Jacob Smollen

    Summer 2024 Fellow
    Philadelphia, Penn. - Brown University (More about Jacob)

“ I learned what it was like to report stories that affected the people who read them. ”

- Sophie Hills

“The fellowship is the reason I am a journalist today.”

- Oliver Egger

The fellowship Experience

“I learned lessons about writing and crafting a story that I will not forget. ”

- Ben Glickman

More than 25 college writers have joined the award-winning newsroom at the Provincetown Independent as fellows. They’ve gained skills producing a wide range of stories from arts features to investigative series and worked with seasoned editors. Four former fellows talk about how it has changed their career paths.

Oliver Egger

“I had done lots of creative writing at college, but as I approached graduation I wanted to see what I could learn writing for and about a community.

The summer fellowship at the Provincetown Independent helped me grow so much as a writer and opened up the possibility of a career in journalism to me. Starting out that first week I was quite intimidated, but Publisher Teresa Parker, Editor Ed Miller, the other fellows, and the entire staff at the Indie were so supportive, offering feedback and answering my endless questions. The fellowship pushed me out of my comfort zone by allowing me to tackle a range of stories, from art profiles to nature writing to reporting on homelessness. Also, I got to spend the summer living in one of the most beautiful places in the world and making friends with a group of other young journalists — not too shabby.

The fellowship is the reason I am a journalist today. I wouldn’t have had the skills or confidence to pitch story ideas and thoroughly report on a range of topics without what I learned at the Indie. Participating in this fellowship was one of the best choices I’ve made.” Oliver Egger was a Summer Fellow in 2023 and is now a contributing writer for the Boston Globe’s Ideas section. (Oliver’s articles for the Independent)

Sophie Hills

“Soon after my family moved to Cape Cod I was drawn in by the dynamic, thorough, and relevant stories the Provincetown Independent was producing. I was in college and involved in my school’s newspaper, so I was interested in learning how to effectively cover a community like the Indie does.

When I started the fellowship there, I was interested in community journalism, but I didn't quite understand it. Very quickly, I learned what it was like to report stories that affected the people who read them. Over the course of the summer, I learned how to identify story ideas that I might’ve previously overlooked, my writing became clearer and punchier, and I became more persistent about finding sources. A previous internship had mainly consisted of phone reporting, but at the Indie, I was often face-to-face with the people I was interviewing and covering. That helped build my skills as a more empathetic (or sometimes thick-skinned) reporter. And I was lucky to absorb advice and tips from the skilled and experienced journalists involved with the paper, some of whom I’m still in touch with now.

The skills I gained made me a competitive applicant for the job I landed after college. I had also learned how motivating it is to have a true sense of pride and meaning in your work and how that becomes sustaining during late writing nights or reporting days that hit dead-ends. That lesson from the Indie has stuck with me as I report stories now for a different audience.” Sophie Hills was a Summer Fellow in 2021 and is now a staff writer at the Christian Science Monitor. (Sophie’s articles for the Independent)

Ben Glickman

“I knew I wanted to pursue journalism and applied to the program at the Provincetown Independent because I was impressed by the quality of the writing at the paper and the interesting local topics covered.

The fellowship was a fantastic exercise in adapting to a new place and new topics, as well as a chance to hone my writing. I was thrown into stories right after arriving, quickly covering a local town meeting and writing about community tensions I’d been oblivious to weeks prior.

We were encouraged to pitch and write about everything from healthcare and the environment to the quirks of zoning regulations. The editors let me tackle serious issues. They also did in-depth editing of my work, which I sorely needed as an aspiring journalist. I learned lessons about writing and crafting a story that I will not forget. The freedom to write both colorful features and hard-hitting investigations is rare for a young journalist and those bylines from the Independent no doubt helped me secure later jobs.

The Independent gave me skills and values that are still useful in my career. I developed a doggedness that has served me well. I believe in the importance of serving readers by holding the powerful to account. This was among the first places I saw that in practice.” Ben Glickman was a Summer Fellow in 2021 and is now a reporter at the Wall Street Journal. (Ben’s articles for the Independent)

Thomas Lyons

“I had run my high school’s humor newspaper and applied for the Independent fellowship because I wanted to develop my understanding of storytelling, communities, politics, and people. I was also keenly aware of the loss of local papers around the country. The Independent’s hyper-local mission and the mystique of the Outer Cape (and the allure of free rent on Commercial Street) provided a unique opportunity.

The daily drafting and editing practices at the newspaper taught me more about writing than collegiate seminars had. Much of that growth came from direct conversations with editors. I had to quickly give up my 18-year-old vanity about my writing and try to internalize edits and journalistic practices.

My curiosity about local curling clubs, or domesticated foxes, or the recycling industry became fuel for real stories about community and accountability. At the Independent, editors helped me develop the audacity to just call people up, to ask good questions, and to maintain relationships with sources. In the newsroom, I was grateful to listen in as senior writers interviewed politicians over the phone.

By the end of the fellowship, though fully aware of my editors’ late nights, never-ending deadlines, and ongoing efforts to fund operations, I left inspired by the possibility and joy of a community newspaper. I knew I wanted to remain involved in local journalism for the rest of my life. I don’t know what form that will take, but I am full of gratitude for my time at the Independent and for the editors’ trust to take me on.” Thomas Lyons was a Winter Fellow in 2021-2022 and is now a junior at Wesleyan University. (Thomas’ articles for the Independent)

Local journalism project Alumni

  • Aden Choate Winter Fellow 2024 from Charleston, Ill. - Georgetown University

  • Sophie Griffin Summer Fellow 2023 from Wainscott, N.Y. - Wesleyan University

  • Georgia Hall Summer Fellow 2023 from London, England - Davidson College

  • Nicholas Miller Summer Fellow 2023 from Baltimore, Md. - Brown University

  • Elias Schisgall Summer fellow 2023 from Brooklyn, N.Y. - Harvard University

  • Amelia Roth-Dishy Winter Fellow 2023 from New York, N.Y. - Harvard University

  • Emma Madgic Summer Fellow 2022 from San Mateo, Calif. - Brown University

  • Greta Magendantz Summer Fellow 2022 from West Hartford, Conn. - Northeastern University

  • Nora Markey Summer Fellow 2022 from Springfield, Mass. - Wesleyan University

  • Isabelle Nobili Summer Fellow 2022 from Eastham, Mass - Johns Hopkins University

  • Cam Blair Summer Fellow 2021 from Conway, Mass. - Hamilton College

  • Alex Sharp Summer Fellow 2021 from South Deerfield, Mass. - Tufts University

  • Allyson Birger Summer Fellow 2020 from Hillsborough, Calif. - Tufts University

  • Josephine de La Bruyère Summer Fellow 2020 from New York, N.Y. - Princeton University

  • Sabina Lum Summer Fellow 2020 from Vienna, Va. - Williams College

  • Cana Tagawa Summer Fellow 2020 from Honolulu, Hawaii - Tufts University

  • Olivia Weeks Summer Fellow 2020 from West Frankfort, Ill. - Harvard University