The Asian American Journalists Assn.’s Los Angeles chapter, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and the family of Gregory Yuen Yee, is excited to announce Avidha Raha as the recipient of a 2026 Yee training grant.
Congratulations, Avidha! Avidha received a $1,500 grant to help cover travel expenses to attend the AAJA national convention in Minneapolis.
The Gregory Yuen Yee Training Grants were established in honor of an outstanding young journalist who helped shape news coverage through his energy, dedication and precision, especially while chasing breaking news as a member of the L.A. Times’ Fast Break desk.
Yee, a sensitive and disciplined writer with exceptional curiosity and empathy, was passionate about local news. In that vein, AAJA-LA seeks to award grants to early-career journalists who are working to strengthen their journalistic skills and make deeper connections with their local communities.
Avidha is a multimedia journalist who recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in specialized journalism. She was the photo desk editor for USC Annenberg Media and previously served as a fellow at Covering Climate Now and as a research assistant for the USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication. She also has a master’s degree in history from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India.
Her article “In discussion with Homebound filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan” for Annenberg Media won third place in the L.A. Press Club’s best arts writing category this year, and a project she worked on for Annenberg Media titled “From the ashes to the break: How Malibu’s surf scene is holding on” was named a finalist for multimedia package in the L.A. Press Club’s 2026 contest.
“I am really grateful to Greg’s family and AAJA-LA for their support with this grant: It helped me travel to Minneapolis for my first-ever AAJA convention!” Avidha said. “Before this, I had never been around such a huge professional space with so many fun learning opportunities. I was able to meet and network with people whose work I’ve admired for many years from afar.
“The highlight of my experience was being part of the Photojournalism Affinity Group,” she added. “It was amazing to see one of my photos being printed for the fundraiser print sale, along with the work of some brilliant photojournalists. For the first time in my life, I didn’t need to explain myself in that group; people there also saw things with similar depth and a unique vision.
“I really look forward to attending more conventions in the future,” Avidha concluded. “Thank you so much for this priceless gift.”
Learn more about the Gregory Yuen Yee Training Grants here.
— Rubaina Azhar, AAJA-LA general board member