18 students worked over the course of a year to prepare and fundraise for their trip to Berlin. Once there, they used their hands-on skills to produce the Missoula to Berlin project and stories. Meet them here:

Kayla Robertson worked on graphics for the burying the dead story. She’s a senior majoring in journalism and is also studying media arts and GIS. Kayla also works as the design editor for the Montana Kaimin. View her portfolio at http://www.kaylarobertsondesign.com.

Rebecca Keith wrote the story mobile minors. She is a junior at the University of montana. In addition to working on a bachelor’s degree in journalism she is getting minors in both astronomy and climate change. Another version of her story, which includes interviews from refugees in the U.S., will be published on the Montana Journalism Review this winter.

Kira Vercruyssen did the photography for Sheltered Without a Home, Burying the Dead, and contributed to Critical Coverage. She was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and is a senior majoring in journalism with a focus on photography and multimedia. Kira is a photo intern with the Missoulian and the Montana Kaimin. View her webpage here. http://www.kiravphotography.com

Christa Street wrote the story about the legal and bureaucratic unaccompanied refugee minors encounter in Germany. She is a sophomore at the University of Montana. She is majoring in Spanish and Political Science with a focus in International Relations and is minoring in International Development Studies.

I’m graduating in spring 2017 with a major in Journalism & a minor in International Development Studies. I participated in “Missoula to Berlin” project as a photojournalist, capturing life styles of people seeking refuge as they settle in Berlin, also collecting stories of their live styles that they left behind. I have always loved capturing moments through my camera as a first hand experience in different cultures, specially when there’s change. I believe everyone has a unique story & I want to be a platform to bring those stories to life. In my leisure time, I love cooking & tasting food from different countries.

Ian Strahn wrote the piece, “Critical Coverage: the Controversy Between German Media and the Right-Wing.” He is a senior at the University of Montana studying Political Science, German and International Development Studies. Ian is also the International Outreach Coordinator for the Global Leadership Initiative on campus.

Lauren Lewis worked on the feature text for the piece titled “Ready to work: Highly qualified refugees struggle to gain employment in Germany.” She graduated last spring with a degree in journalism and a minor in media arts. She is now working as the digital platform manager for the Billings Gazette.