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Elizabeth Gabriel is KLCC Public Radio Foundation Reporting Fellow. She does stories on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Jennaca Ortiz attends Cuesta College and is the editor-in-chief for the award-winning student publication, The Cuestonian. Born and raised in California's Central Valley, Jennaca now lives in Morro Bay. While this is her first time as an official resident of the Central Coast, she spent many summers here as a kid. She enjoys listening to the radio, swimming, drawing, and traveling.

Ruth allowed her purse to be picked in Paris, discovered Kentucky moonshine in Europe, and researched table etiquette at nude resorts… all part of the job for this international travel writer.

Eden Funk is from Newport Beach, CA, and a third-year journalism student at Cal Poly. She's passionate about writing, editing, and broadcasting. Some of her hobbies include traveling, hiking, going to the beach and trying new restaurants.

Christine Heinrichs writes about coastal issues from her home in Cambria, and has lived on the Central Coast since 1990. She earned her degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and has written for many magazines throughout her career.

Mikhail Zinshteyn has been a higher education reporter since 2015. As a freelancer, he contributed to The Atlantic, The Hechinger Report, Inside Higher Ed and The 74. Previously, he was a reporter at EdSource and before that a program manager at the Education Writers Association. Mikhail was born in the Soviet Union and has a master's degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics. He is based in Los Angeles. Pell grants and work-study helped pay for his undergraduate degree at Union College.

Melissa Melton developed an early interest in radio while growing up in Hollister, California, as a frequent listener of her local radio stations. As a teenager, she became an ardent alternative music fan, especially fascinated with the post-punk, new wave, and no wave genres. She finally got to live out her longtime dream of being a radio disc jockey when she joined KCPR while studying at Cal Poly, garnering a reputation for her sunny personality and the eclectic mixes of music she played each week. After her years at KCPR, she feels incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing her favorite music with the Central Coast as a DJ on KCBX.

Jim Gonzales founded Ritmo y Sabor in the aughts to showcase an art form he's passionate about: Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa, and related music. Jim lived and worked in the Santa Maria area for many years before taking on the aloha spirit and moving to Hawaii, where he produces the show. He alternates hosting it with Pedro Arroyo and, occasionally, David Figueroa.

Rachel Becker is a reporter with a background in scientific research. After studying the links between the brain and the immune system, Rachel left the lab bench with her master’s degree to become a journalist via the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing. For nearly three years, Rachel was a staff science reporter at The Verge, where she wrote stories and hosted videos covering a range of beats including climate change, nicotine, and nuclear technology. Her byline has also appeared in NOVA Next, National Geographic News, Smithsonian, Slate, Nature, Nature Medicine, bioGraphic, and Hakai Magazine, as well as the PBS Digital Studios video series Gross Science and the YouTube show MinuteEarth. Rachel now covers California’s complex water challenges and water policy issues for CalMatters. In 2021 she won first place for Outstanding Beat Reporting from the Society of Environmental Journalists.