Intern Chronicles: Meet The Rhoden Fellows

EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again this summer, Front Row’s Intern Chronicles series showcases some of ESPN’s summer interns. For more information on ESPN Internships, visit the ESPN Careers site.

The Rhoden Fellowship, founded by Andscape editor-at-large and former New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, trains future sports journalists from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Part of Andscape’s effort to foster new multicultural voices, the program is open to standout undergraduate HBCU students. Fellows, who cover stories on race, class, and culture through sports, are campus correspondents for Andscape. 

Kimberly D. Jarvis is the general editor and Rhoden Fellows coordinator, a role she’s been in since 2022. The curriculum the Rhoden Fellows follow is one she is proud of. 

“It provides an opportunity for students from HBCUs to learn from colleagues within the industry they want to pursue,” said Jarvis. “As an HBCU alum, I’m glad the fellowship exists for future Black journalists.”

The eighth cohort includes Assata Allah-Shabazz (Morgan State University), Nilea Cosley (Clark Atlanta University), Sydney Cuillier (Southern University and A&M College), Madison Firle (Howard University), Gabrielle Heyward (North Carolina A&T State University), and Aniyah Robinson (Langston University).

Every week, the fellows begin their Monday with a “Thee Six” meeting to discuss and brainstorm for their weekly “Takes of the Week” – a video discussing current news or developments in sports or culture.

After that, they research topics, set up interview times, call and/or send emails to gather information for upcoming stories. On Wednesdays, they have pitch meetings with the Andscape editors and other staff to get feedback on their stories. 

Cosley’s favorite project from this summer was interviewing Charm La’Donna, the renowned choreographer of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” for the Andscape podcast. For the Rhoden Fellows, it was an incredibly enriching experience. 

“We had the chance to delve into her creative process, career journey, and insights on the industry,” said Cosley. After the interview, Cosley published her first article highlighting key experts from the discussion.

“[It] not only allowed me to connect with a talented artist but also marked a significant milestone in my writing career,” said Cosley.

The Rhoden Fellows’ creative work this summer is something they have been actively doing in their own communities as well.

Cuillier has her own TV show in Louisiana called “Sydney’s On The Clock.”

In it, she covers collegiate and professional sports in Louisiana and interviews athletes from her school, LSU, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the New Orleans Saints. The program airs on two different networks and reaches 300,000 households. 

Gabrielle Heyward covered a New York Mets game at Citi Field. (Gabrielle Heyward/ESPN)

Nilea Cosley covered the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. (Nilea Cosley/ESPN)

Rhoden Fellow Sydney Cuillier hosts her own sports talk show in Louisiana, "Sydney's On The Clock." (Sydney Cullier/ESPN)

Aniyah Robinson reported from a New York Mets game at Citi Field. (Aniyah-Robinson/ESPN)

Assata Allah-Shabazz reported from ESPN's NFL set in Digital Center 2. (Assata Allah-Shabazz/ESPN)

“It has been something I have been blessed to be a part of for over a year now, and I can’t wait to see where it brings me,” said Cullier. 

Outside of work, Allah-Shabazz continues to expand on her creative skills. She enjoys reading a variety of books and creating her content. 

“Whether it’s crafting articles, developing stories, or experimenting with different forms of writing, I find great fulfillment in exploring my creative side and continually learning through my personal projects,” said Allah-Shabazz. 

Heyward has also been enjoying her summer outside of the fellowship. Originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s been enjoying the Northeast.

“As a southern girl, I’ve found myself visiting New York City, the Hamptons, and smaller cities in Connecticut,” said Heyward. “I’ve also been in the gym a lot this summer, relieving stress and clearing my mind.”

The Rhoden Fellows are typically on ESPN’s Bristol campus working on their creative projects, but the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago at the end of July switched things up for them. It proved to be a very memorable trip.

Firle’s favorite moment of the summer was being on ESPN’s First Take at the NABJ conference. 

“I got the chance to ask [FT co-host] Stephen A. Smith who his all-time favorite Olympian is,” said Firle (watch video above). “It was amazing to engage directly with such a prominent sports personality and dive into a topic I’m passionate about.”

Hearing Smith’s response and his perspective was a standout memory for Firle.

For Cuillier, the NABJ conference created some of her best memories. She was also able to participate in First Take, supporting Smith by holding the “Top 5 Sport Cities” sign.

“My favorite memory will have to 100 percent be being on First Take at the NABJ convention,” she said. “A lot of my family and friends watched the show, and they were so happy to see me in it!”

As their summer at ESPN ends, the Rhoden Fellows are getting ready to return to their respective universities and continue their work as journalists.

Robinson returns to Langston University for her senior year, where she will serve as a campus correspondent for Langston University. 

“My goal in the fall is to bring more attractions to Langston and showcase all of the good that goes on our campus,” said Robinson. “I hope to push myself to get out of my shell in terms of camera content, as well as continuing to grow in my investigative writing.”

Rhoden, who has spent part of this summer covering the Paris Olympics for Andscape, is especially proud of this class.

“We have been fortunate to have many outstanding students come through this fellowship,” he said. “Our eighth class is not only exceptional, but historic as the first class of all women fellows. We are expecting great things from them during the school year.”

William Rhoden (second from right), founder of The Rhoden Fellows, addresses the new class during an assignment at a New York Mets game. (Kimberly Jarvis/Andscape)

The Class of 2025 Rhoden Fellows poses with mentor William Rhoden. (Kimberly Jarvis/Andscape)

MEET THE AUTHORS

I’m Sofía Basurto, interning in the Programming Department on the content scheduling and strategy and Deportes team at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in media and journalism, where I wrote and produced podcasts for UNC and WUNC. As a big Carolina Basketball fan, I’m happy to be at ESPN working in programming and utilizing my storytelling skills for ESPN Front Row.

I’m Anna Kim, and I’m the 2024 Digital Media Programming summer intern in Bristol. I’m a rising senior for Vanderbilt University, majoring in Human and Organizational Development and double minoring in Cinema & Media Arts and Business. I’m originally from Auburn, Alabama, and I’ve previously interned and worked at Live Nation, Red Bull, and a biotech called Revance. I’m excited to be working here at ESPN for the summer! Anchor Down and Weagle!