Please be advised that the application period for the March 2026 Externship Experience has now closed.
In-person externship experience for one student with homestay, March 2026.
Meet five New York City alumni working in media/documentary film. This “collaborative externship” is designed to give you a broader perspective on careers in journalism and non-fiction storytelling. You’ll see narrative podcasting at ABC News with Sasha Aslanian ‘90 who will host your stay in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. You’ll also spend a day with Michael Hanna ’94, a producer, director and video editor at ABC News who ran his own film company for years and Konstantinos Kambouroglou ’95, an independent documentary filmmaker. You’ll also spend time with two younger alumni: Artis Curiskis ‘18, executive producer at The Center for Investigative Reporting and Page Oamek ’20, a freelance reporter, fact-checker, and podcast producer who works with Gothamist/WNYC, Hell Gate, and Wired.
Dates: Five days
Bio: Sasha Aslanian ’80 (she/her) double-majored in English and French. She is a Peabody Award-winning producer of high-impact audio stories that move people and change lives. At ABC, she leads narrative podcasts such as “Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy” (selected by Apple Podcasts as one of 10 Best of 2025 (so far)), “Radioactive: The Karen Silkwood Mystery” (named a Best New Podcast of 2024 by Amazon), and “The King Road Killings” (winner of a Gracie for best host). Before joining ABC, Sasha spent three decades producing and reporting for American Public Media. She created documentaries and podcasts for APM Reports, and a youth-produced series for MPR News. Sasha enjoys bringing new people into audio storytelling. Sasha’s alumni involvement with Grinnell includes serving on Alumni Council, being the keynote speaker at the Second Year Spotlight Conference, and hosting extra-special externship experiences. Sasha is the proud parent of a current Grinnellian (class of 2026).
To hear Sasha discussing her career in media with Grinnell students, check out Episode 42 of Going Forth.
About this externship: Plan on $50/day budget for five days in NYC. Sasha will cover some of the meals for the extern. It’s an even mix of eating out and dining in. The extern will have access to and will use public transportation. Sasha and her husband, a Grinnell alum history major who is now an attorney, have a spare room (rare for NY!) and live with a cat.
Application window: January 2–12, 2026, for March 2026
To apply for this externship, submit your application materials including the It’s a Match form, one-page résumé, and cover letter as specified in the resource: Externship Experience Information for Students.
Important note! In addition to standard application materials, please provide one to three examples of your work (links to S&B articles, videos, photography portfolio). Several alums involved in this collaborate externship will interview two to three finalists.
We recommend you make an appointment to review your application materials with a CLS adviser before submitting. Questions? Email: externships@grinnell.edu.