Hi! My name is Layli Nazarova, and I am a rising senior in journalism with a minor in political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

I am an award-winning multimedia journalist who is passionate about telling unique stories about real people and their experiences. As a journalist, I believe it is my duty to find stories that people wouldn’t normally hear about, in the communities whose voices have been historically silenced, and tell them in ways that are understandable, engaging, and most importantly impactful. 

Since the end of my freshman year, I’ve held the highest honors from my college as a James Scholar. I’ve also been nationally recognized by the highest of college-level national awards for the industry, the Hearst Journalism Awards, as I recently placed first in the 2025 Hearst Journalism Awards Program National Championship for audio reporting. 

My main interest lies in broadcast journalism, focusing on political and business reporting, as well as bridging journalism with AI and user experience. 

As a journalist with a global perspective, my background growing up in Russia has deeply shaped my approach to reporting. My global approach and experience allow me to analyze stories through both national and international lenses, offering nuanced insights that resonate with a broader audience. 

Additionally, being fluent in both Russian and English, and having passive fluency in Ukrainian and French helps me to engage with diverse communities, conduct multilingual interviews, and bring underreported perspectives to light.

Oscar Wilde