Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) is celebrating the kickoff of the fifth cohort of the Disney Storytellers Fund at FAMU, the culmination of a successful five-year investment from the Walt Disney Company. The fund was established through a $1 million grant in 2022 powered by Disney Future Storytellers, which focuses on expanding access to career opportunities centered on storytelling and innovation. At FAMU, the Disney Storytellers Fund aims to empower the next generation of journalists, media professionals and news executives.
“The selection of this year’s cohort represents a milestone moment for SJGC. Since its inception, nearly 50 students have benefited from the transformative and real-life experiences the Disney Future Storytellers Program offers,” said Dean Mira Lowe. “This program has been a beacon for the power of experiential learning. We have watched countless students complete the program equipped with the skills needed to launch their careers at some of the most respected companies and organizations in the nation.”
Each year, junior and senior SJGC students are selected to receive tuition and housing scholarships, annual stipends, mentorship, leadership development opportunities, and other specialized programming. In addition, students have the opportunity to intern during the summer in New York across The Walt Disney Company’s media properties, including “ABC News Live,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “World News Tonight with David Muir” and various ESPN platforms.
The 2026-27 Disney Storytellers Fund at FAMU cohort includes:
- Christopher Gooden, Graphic Design (Tallahassee)
- Elijah Lott, Journalism (Tallahassee)
- Layla Richardson, Graphic Design (Davenport, Florida)
- Makayla Smith, Public Relations (Tallahassee)
- Rayne Davis, Journalism (Somerset, New Jersey)
- Rowan Mumford, Journalism (Bowie, Maryland)
- Ta’Niya Williams, Public Relations (Midway, Florida)
- Usher Williams, Graphic Design (Sanford, Florida)
Cohort members receive up to $10,000 in scholarship support each year during their enrollment, in addition to a $1,375 annual stipend.
The new cohort joins continuing 2025-26 participants, including Clarissa Elysee (journalism), who served as an ESPN Radio audio and production intern; Trinity Olivier (journalism), who served as a “World News Tonight with David Muir” production intern; Andrew Watson (graphic design), who served as an ABC News graphics intern; Terrill Smith (graphic design), who served as a “Good Morning America” social media intern; and Shayla Jones (public relations), who served as a “20/20” production intern.
Students who completed the program during the summer and graduated in Spring 2026 include Venecia Easter, a “Nightline” production intern; Seanna Miller, an ABC News Live production intern and Yulissa Garcia-Martinez, an ABC News Talent Development intern.
A Resounding Impact
The impact of the program is shown in the story of aspiring creative director Terrill Smith. Smith is a transfer student from Miami Dade College who will complete his bachelor’s degree from FAMU in December. His summer internship in GMA’s social media unit not only prepared him for professional success but also positioned him as a role model for future transfer students from Miami Dade. The college celebrated his Disney Storytellers experience across their platforms and in a special feature article here.
“By the end of the summer, I contributed to over 125 posts that reached 10.1 million views, 616,000-plus likes, and 17,000-plus comments,” Smith recounted. “But what means even more is how much I grew with every post, pitch, edit, and piece of feedback.”
Like Smith, past FAMU SJGC Disney Storytellers alumni are inspiring the next generation. As emerging professionals, many of them have already gone on to establish careers with national media, sports and communications organizations across the United States, including:
- Edna Rutland, associate producer, ABC News Live Reports
- Jonathan David, seasonal senior associate producer, NFL
- Sidney Berry, brand and editorial marketing associate, Bloomberg Media
- SydneyCymone Bellamy, community correspondent, BET
- Dalilah Posley, reporter, NBC affiliate WCBD-TV in South Carolina
- Kalei Nash, multimedia journalist, Gray Television’s WRDW-TV in Georgia
- Kayla Delcham, membership sales associate, Atlanta Hawks
- Briana Michel, associate producer, NBC affiliate WESH 2 in Florida
- Jasmine Butler, reporter, Cox Media Group’s WJAX-TV in Florida
- Beyla Walker, anchor, Gray Television’s WTVY-TV in Alabama
- Ernest Walker III, production assistant, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Bleacher Report
