Rising senior attends Washington Journalism and Media Conference
by Savannah C.
From July 14-July 19, 2024, I had the opportunity to be a representative for the state of South Carolina and Airport High School at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, a conference that allows aspiring journalists the ability to tour Washington, DC.
The Washington Journalism and Media Conference allowed me and my fellow journalist friends to attend the National Press Club, Planet Word, The White House, The Washington Monument, and personal interviews with famous journalists. When each of us aspiring journalists had a question about one of the more well known journalists, we introduced ourselves as National Youth Correspondents. The reasoning behind this is to market ourselves better, and to let them know the organization we are representing. If we choose to apply to attend the conference for a second year, we would be referred to as Youth Faculty Advisors.
I can safely say, this was going to be a different experience for me as a student and overall person, and now that it has finished, I can truly say it was one of the best weeks of my life.
I became interested in the conference when I first received the letter in the mail. Before I applied, I did a lot of research and looked into previous years of the conference. When I took Journalism 1 in the fall of 2023, I really became interested in making a career out of this. Around November 2023 is when I received the letter that I had been nominated.
Upon arriving at the conference, I was filled with nerves yet lots of excitement. I was about to attend a week on a college campus, without anyone I know there with me.
In order to attend this conference, you have to be nominated by a member of your community or school, you are then looked at by all the staff at the conference and make sure you meet all the proper criteria and requirements. After the conference concluded, I had the ability to receive a college credit, and the opportunity to apply to George Mason University.
When interviewed about her time at the conference, Morgan S., a National Youth Correspondent from Maryland, expressed how she feels it has impacted her personal life. She said, “It opened me up to different kinds of writing and careers that revolve around writing.” It is very important to know that many of these correspondents from all over the world truly loved their time at the conference.
Cyndi T., a National Youth Correspondent from Tennessee, was also asked about her time spent at the conference. When asked what the biggest thing she took away from the conference she stated, “The biggest takeaway that I had from this conference was getting to meet and make connections with all types of people! I got to learn about different perspectives and got to experience an amazing week filled with amazing people.”
Overall, this opportunity was such an incredible experience. I feel as though being surrounded by so many different people and personalities from all over the world; helped me open my eyes to journalism in all of its incredible forms. I was able to feel comfortable and confident in a new space where I was allowed to speak freely about all my ideas.
To learn more about The Washington Journalism and Media Conference, and George Mason University, you can visit The Washington Journalism and Media Conference - George Mason.