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News Additions To The Code Switch Team

In a note to newsroom staff Code Switch Executive Producer Steve Drummond made this staffing update:

Hi Everyone,

I'm happy to announce several new additions to the Code Switch team:

Christina Cala
/ Christina Cala
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Christina Cala
Christina Cala

First off, please welcome Christina Cala to Code Switch as a producer. You know Christina from her work at ATC and recently at TED Radio Hour. During her time at NPR, she's produced from Colombia to Finland to Birmingham. She also reported from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and directed breaking news coverage. When not working, Christina can be found backpacking, reading or watercoloring. She joins us on June 28.

<strong>Sam Yellowhorse Kesler</strong>
/ Sam Yellowhorse Kesler
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Sam Yellowhorse Kesler
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler

And then I'm delighted to announce the selection of the first-ever Code Switch Fellow. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler begins his six-month assignment with the team starting today. Many of you may know Sam already — he's a former intern with Ask Me Another and he's just finished up an assignment as a news assistant with ATC. While he was an intern, Sam helped found an Indigenous Employee Resource Group to elevate, and promote, better cover of issues involving Native Americans. He's also worked at WXPN in Philadelphia and he's written for the 34th Street Magazine at Penn, from which he graduated in 2020.

We've also selected our two mid-career fellows – working journalists who'll be teaming up with Code Switch to work on a long-term project over the next few months:

Kamna Shastri
Megan Farmer / Megan Farmer
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Megan Farmer
Kamna Shastri

Kamna Shastri is a community journalist with a focus on social justice, equity and amplifying the stories of Seattle's communities of color. Her work has appeared in The Seattle Globalist, South Seattle Emerald, International Examiner, Real Change, KUOW, and KBCS. Kamna is also a content manager for the Washington Environmental Council. She's @KShastri

Isabeth 'Isa' Mendoza
/ Isabeth 'Isa' Mendoza
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Isabeth 'Isa' Mendoza
Isabeth 'Isa' Mendoza

Isabeth "Isa" Mendoza is a bilingual public health researcher turned audio journalist from Southeast Los Angeles. She is KQED's Podcast Engagement Producer and previously worked on Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley as well as freelanced for NPR and Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom's Hear to Slay. Isabeth is a proud NPR Next Generation Radio alum, an IWMF Gwen Ifill Fellow, and a former NPR National Desk intern. She holds a Master's in Public Health from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley. She's @IsabethKahlo

Please welcome Christina and our three fellows.

Steve

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Steve Drummond heads up two teams of journalists at NPR. NPR Ed is a nine-member team that launched in March 2014, providing deeper coverage of learning and education and extending it to audiences across digital platforms. Code Switch is an eight-person team that covers race and identity across the network, and in an award-winning weekly podcast.