Four WWU student journalists selected for Seattle Times 'Best of the Pacific Northwest' Symposium

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Four WWU student journalists selected for Seattle Times 'Best of the Pacific Northwest' Symposium

March 12, 2026

Four students from Western Washington University Journalism 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.

"We are so grateful to work with The Seattle Times through this program - both because of the excellent training it provides to the selected students, but also for the insights those students bring back to their classmates and colleagues at Western," said Journalism Chair Brian J. Bowe. "We expect a lot because all four selected students invest in their classmates' success and are capable of great things."

• Christian Larrañaga is from Las Vegas, New Mexico. After graduation, Larrañaga hopes to pursue a career reporting in sports or working for a sports team as a photographer or in community outreach.

• Dupree Nugent, of Renton, Washington, wants to write for a community newspaper after graduation. Nugent is also pursuing a second major in creative writing and writes short stories and poetry in his spare time.

• Jae Ranney, of Cordova, Alaska, is the youngest of four siblings and a former editor-in-chief of The Front, Western's independent, student-run newsroom. After graduation, Ranney plans to work as a foreign correspondent and advocate for the communities they cover.

• Ellie Wright is from Orcas Island, Washington, and is a tutor at Western's Hacherl Research and Writing Studio. After graduation, Wright plans to work as a reporter covering politics and government.

"Every community needs journalists who are concerned for their neighbors' future and who are trained and ready to monitor the powerful people and forces that shape our world," Bowe said. "Our program is serious about producing job-ready students, connecting them to employment, and making sure their work is grounded in the journalism ethics, mission, and skills that serve democracy."

Students in WWU's program study journalism, public relations, visual and multimedia storytelling, and environmental journalism. In the past year, the program, its faculty, and its students have earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Pacemaker Awards (known as "the Pulitzers of student media"), the First Amendment Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, and in many other spaces.

They have also earned laurels at the Times symposium: In 2025, Ava Glaspell (WWU '26) was part of a two-person team that reported a story that was published on front page of the Times' metro section and won "Best Story Overall" honors from The Times, and Jordan Brotamonte (WWU '26) was part of a two-person team that was recognized for "Best Reporting" from the Times in the same year.

The other journalism programs invited to participate in the symposium include the University of Washington, Washington State University, the University of Alaska-Anchorage, the University of Idaho, the University of Montana, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon. Western has participated in the symposium since its inception in 2024.

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