ChrisAnna Mink receives Report for America’s 2021 Service Project Award
By Sam Kille, Report for America
ChrisAnna Mink was presented with the 2021 Report for America Service Project Award during this year’s corps member graduation ceremony. Not only did Mink help students learn about the fundamentals of journalism, she returned to work at a hospital amid the pandemic as a pediatric infectious diseases specialist.
“ChrisAnna didn’t let the pandemic stop her from finding ways to work with young people on journalism and writing. She’s been tenacious in her dedication to the service project throughout her time in Report for America,” said Rachel Rohr, director of training and service for Report for America. “It’s clear how passionate she is about supporting young people and amplifying their voices.”
Mink was placed with The Modesto Bee in 2019 to cover children’s health issues in California’s Stanislaus County. Like her fellow corps members, she was tasked with volunteering her time outside of the newsroom to support the media literacy of young people in the community.
In her first year, Mink taught writing, reporting and interviewing skills to middle school students at the Boys & Girls Club in Modesto. She also helped the students publish a newsletter to showcase their work.
Mink used her vacation to work at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center last winter when the COVID-19 pandemic took a turn for the worse in Los Angeles. There, she started another service project teaching pediatric interns to write for the public.
Most recently, Mink taught journalism remotely to students at the Stanislaus Youth Empowerment Program. The Bee published the students’ work to amplify Black youth voices during Black History Month.
Mink modestly said little more than “thank you” upon receiving her award during Report for America’s virtual graduation ceremony. The pediatrician-turned-journalist saved her parting thoughts for one last piece with The Bee.
“I am so grateful for all you’ve given me — opportunity, experience and friendship. I’ve been surrounded by the best of the Valley, and that’s the people,” Mink wrote. “Although I’m going home to my family in Torrance, I’m sad to leave all of you. After all, you’re now my family, too.
About Report for America
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world, including the recent launch of Report for the World in partnership with local newsrooms in India and Nigeria.
