Vegas native among student journalists selected for Seattle Times ‘Best of the Pacific Northwest’ Symposium

Four students from Western Washington University have been selected to attend the 2026 Seattle Times Best of the Pacific Northwest Symposium. The multi-day workshop in the Seattle Times newsroom pairs students with professional mentors, sends them on reporting assignments, and provides training and special access to the work of the Times’ journalists.

This year marks the first open competition for Western’s seats and resulted in a robust pool of applicants. From that group, members of a faculty committee selected four young journalists for the strength of their previous work, the questions they presented about the Times’ operations, and their clear, thoughtfully presented goals for the future of news and their careers.