ThreeSixty Journalism launched the program’s first Youth Leadership Board in 2024. Seven high school students—all committed and experienced scholastic journalists—now help guide program strategy and curriculum and are resourced to lead editorial projects and participate in advanced learning opportunities.
Meet the 2025-2026 Board:
Janya Dieringer is a Junior at Johnson Senior High School on the East Side of St. Paul. She has been doing broadcast journalism for over 2 years on her school news, and wrote her first article through ThreeSixty’s MSI camp, which was published in the Minnesota Star Tribune. She works to help tell the stories of those who often don’t get heard, and is involved in her community through her work at Urban Roots, a local non-profit. In her free time, if she can find any, she’s often reading, drawing, or writing. She’s also very passionate about music and the arts and is slowly but surely learning how to play the bass guitar.
Lani Ngonethong is a senior at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. She writes for her school’s online newspaper and has won three MHSPA Gold Medallion Awards for her journalistic work for feature photo, feature story, and broadcast Feature. Lani reports across all sections but especially spotlights Southeast Asian communities through a Lao and Hmong-American lens. Through ThreeSixty, she has been published in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and MinnPost. Outside of journalism, Lani enjoys traveling. A fun fact about Lani is that she has over 30 posters and postcards on her wall, which she has collected from her travels.
Wendy Xiong is a sophomore at Johnson Senior High School. Wendy believes that being a part of this journey allows more room for growth and improvement. After joining ThreeSixty, it allowed for her to break her cycle and learn to advocate for others who are unwilling to talk. In her free time she enjoys learning more about AI software and being on social media.
Muhammad Memon is a senior at Wayzata High School. From Plymouth, Minnesota Muhammad has been doing ThreeSixty workshops for over a year now. He has participated in over 4 workshops including ThreeSixty’s Multimedia Storytelling Institute and College Essay Writing workshop. He has been published by the Star Tribune. He enjoys working, skiing, and movies.
Anais Froberg-Martinez is a junior at Perpich Center for Arts Education. She has been involved with ThreeSixty Journalism since sophomore year. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s Chinese-Panamanian roots and her father’s rural upbringing, her interest in immersive journalism has grown to encompass both local and international politics. This year, her growing journalism toolkit has led her to become the lead editor of Perpich’s school newspaper, Lola Times. In her spare time, she likes watching artistic films and learning about history.
Anais was part of the inaugural 2024 Youth Leadership Board.
Viv Ogunro is a sophomore at Breck School in Golden Valley. She became involved with ThreeSixty through the 2025 MPR radio camp and ThreeSixty Multimedia Storytelling Institute. Viv had an article published in the Minnesota Star Tribune and an audio piece produced with MPR as part of the annual radio camp. She writes for her school’s news outlet– The Breck Bugle, beyond journalism, her hobbies are volleyball, mock trial, and youth in government. Viv hopes she makes others feel happy, cherished and above all a sense of belonging.
Margarita Rosales has been involved with ThreeSixty for a year but has shown remarkable dedication for journalism, participating in multiple workshops and landing a byline in Sahan Journal. She’s passionate about her community and being the voice of those who can’t speak out. Since joining the board she’s become more outgoing, excited to create new friendships and relationships along her journey as a journalist. Her hobbies are crafting, collecting cds, thrifting, and baking. Her favorite thing to bake is butter cookies. She is in her senior year at Venture Academy.
Margarita was part of the inaugural 2024 Youth Leadership Board.
Alexis Aryeequaye is a senior at Rosemount High School. Passionate about narrative change and justice, Alexis has had pieces published in MinnPost and Pioneer Press. Outside of her journalistic passions, she’s a part of her school’s choir, theater, and plays ukulele.
Alexis was part of the inaugural 2024 Youth Leadership Board.
Daphne Kleinschmit is a senior at Columbia Heights High School. A state-level speaker and captain of her school’s tennis team, she thrives in leadership roles. Daphne is passionate about building a community and driving positive change. Now in her third year with ThreeSixty Journalism, she uses her voice to tell impactful stories and amplify important issues. She also interns with the Northeaster, gaining hands-on experience in journalism. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and laughing with her friends.
Daphne was part of the inaugural 2024 Youth Leadership Board.
