Kid Reporter Alumni Spotlight: Eshaan Mani

Each year since 2000, we’ve selected students to report for TIME for Kids. That’s more than 250 kids who’ve joined us! And nothing makes us happier than seeing former TFK Kid Reporters pursue their dreams.

Take Eshaan Mani. A Texas-based TFK Kid Reporter in 2019–20, he wrote about major national and world events, including youth protests (above) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Eshaan is studying climate and law at Harvard University, in Massachusetts. He’s also a senior staff writer for two of Harvard’s student-run journals.

“Being a TFK Kid Reporter shaped the way I see my voice, my work, and my future,” Eshaan says. “I realized that age doesn’t limit my credibility, and that young people can ask serious questions and be taken seriously in return.” Read more from Eshaan below, including tips for future kid reporters.

Think you have what it takes to be a TFK Kid Reporter? Now’s your chance! Visit timeforkids.com/kid-reporter to apply by June 15.

TFK: How is journalism a part of your life now?

Eshaan: While I’ve leaned into my interests in energy and the law while at Harvard, I’ve managed to keep up with journalism as a senior staff writer at the Harvard Political Review and Harvard Technology Review. With the Political Review, my focus is on interviewing the political figures who come to campus. I’ve also written a column about the politics of Bollywood and done deep dives into the impact of AI and social media on politics. For the Technology Review, I write a column on changemakers in climate technology.

What’s your favorite memory of being a TFK Kid Reporter?

Covering the Houston Democratic debate in September 2019. It was my first assignment as a TFK Kid Reporter. The press corral was buzzing. In the middle of it all, I felt something completely new: the power of having a voice and being trusted to use it.

I ran up to then-senator Kamala Harris and asked, “What is your advice for the youth of today?” Her answer—“Never ask for permission to lead, just lead”—has stayed with me ever since. What made the moment even more meaningful was everything around it: standing shoulder to shoulder with reporters from Fox, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and VICE; being treated not like a 13-year-old but a colleague; learning firsthand how stories are shaped in real time. I soaked up tips, conversations, and encouragement from journalists I admired. That night, I fell in love with reporting.

What impact did being a TFK Kid Reporter have on your life and/or career?

Being a TFK Kid Reporter shaped the way I see my voice, my work, and my future. It was the first time I realized that age doesn’t limit my credibility, and that young people can ask serious questions and be taken seriously in return. TFK gave me early, hands-on exposure to real journalism: interviewing senior public figures, reporting under deadlines, learning how to listen carefully and write with clarity and responsibility.

That experience set me on a path I continue to follow today. It pushed me to keep reporting, to seek out stories at the intersection of politics, culture, and power, and to believe that storytelling can be honest, lucid, and human. TFK didn’t just introduce me to journalism. It gave me the conviction that my curiosity and perspective mattered, and that belief has guided every academic and professional choice I’ve made since.

What advice would you give kids applying for this year’s contest?

Go for it! All you need to be a reporter is genuine interest in others’ stories and the courage to ask why and how. The best reporting—that is, reporting that’s fun for you to conduct, incisive for readers to consume, and impactful in its narrative—comes from raw curiosity.

If you’re applying, make sure you show exactly what excites you about this sweet gig. When you write, be clear and honest. Your writing should be structured but heartfelt. TIME for Kids is looking for storytellers who care deeply, think critically, and aren’t afraid to step into big spaces. Step into them.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.