By Atlee Webber and Charlottesville Inclusive Media
The Charlottesville Inclusive Media (CIM) Internship program is in full swing.
The program offers interns the opportunity to gain professional experience in their area of interest — magazine publishing, nonprofit news or audio journalism — while strengthening organizations that are bringing more inclusive representation to local media.
The partners in CIM had hosted three students who brought varied backgrounds and skills: Taylor Frazier interned for Vinegar Hill Magazine, J.J. Yumul joined the staff at Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Kanesha Feggans became a team member at In My Humble Opinion.
In February, CIM partner Vinegar Hill Magazine welcomed Taylor Frazier. She spent her spring semester supporting website design and digital marketing for Stay Fresh, an imprint of Vinegar Hill that features stories of Black farmers, winemakers and sustainability experts. Frazier built the Stay Fresh website and developed a new social media strategy.
“Her passion for technology and storytelling made her such a valuable asset,” said Sarad Davenport, chief operating officer at Vinegar Hill.
Additionally, Frazier spearheaded a writer recruitment campaign for CIM’s First Person Charlottesville series. She identified and reached out to community members to craft stories that would reflect their unique points of view about living and working in central Virginia.
“Being an intern at Vinegar Hill Magazine was an unforgettable experience as it gave me the opportunity to learn about and engage with historically marginalized communities in Charlottesville. The team was very supportive and pushed me to enjoy the process of reaching my full potential,” said Frazier.
A rising second year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, Frazier is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in commerce with a minor in data science.
This summer, Kanesha Feggans started as an assistant producer intern for the In My Humble Opinion (IMHO) Radio Show. With a background in web development, social media and content creation on YouTube, plus audio engineering experience from producing and performing her own music, Feggans has hit the ground running. She is gaining new skills in radio broadcast and expanding her knowledge of digital marketing, including email campaigns and customer relationship management systems.
“Her knowledge, skill and vibrance is the combination needed to carry our multimedia platform into the modern news ecosystem,” said Charles Lewis, co-host of In My Humble Opinion.
Feggans is studying information technology at Piedmont Virginia Community College.
Charlottesville Tomorrow welcomed J.J. Yumul to the team in May 2025. Over the summer, Yumul is working with Product and Technology Officer Ashley Harper to improve the Charlottesville Inclusive Media project website and online products, including the First Person Charlottesville landing page.
“J.J.’s creativity, thoughtfulness, and motivation have truly energized the product team. I’ve genuinely enjoyed mentoring him and witnessing his remarkable growth in skills.” said Harper. “He’s an eager sponge, soaking up everything with passion and dedication.”
Yumul is also supporting the 2025 Voter Guide with research and coordinating outreach events to survey local residents.
“From UX design, to front-end coding, to project management, the internship helped me gain confidence to explore and challenge my curiosity,” said Yumul.
Yumul graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and is currently a master’s degree candidate at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce.
The Charlottesville Inclusive Media Internship places people who want to get into the local media ecosystem in news and media organizations that serve central Virginia communities. This inaugural year of the CIM Internship Program is funded through a grant from the Solidarity Fund of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, which allows CIM’s partners to offer support and stipends.