Lasherica Thornton

Lasherica Thornton covers education in California’s Central Valley. She was most recently the Engagement Reporter for The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab in Fresno, CA where her reporting earned her a John Swett Award from the California Teachers Association. Previously, she was the Education & Features Reporter for The Jackson Sun, a USA Today Network paper, where she covered the educational systems for more than 13 counties. Her work garnered recognition with the Tennessee Press Association as well as local entities. A Mississippi native, Lasherica started her journalistic career in the eighth grade as a reporter and editor for her high school newspaper. In college, she reported for her college and community newspapers and interned in Pennsylvania, covering state government and writing for six publications, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.