West Virginia teen says college workshop was ‘an opportunity that a lot of high school journalists only dream of’
Six members of the Student Reporting Lab at Richwood High School, accompanied by their teacher Susan Johnson, attended a workshop at the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University, which was funded by a grant from the West Virginia Broadcaster’s Association.
While there, the students conducted several interviews with professors and experts on the topic of the importance of water quality, including Dr. Nicolas Zegre of the College of Environmental Studies, Eric Hansen of Downstream Strategies and Professor Josh Freshee of the College of Law.
The students took a special tour of the campus and sat in on workshops and journalism classes. Accompanying the group from Richwood High School was local PBS mentor Chuck Frostick of West Virginia Public Broadcasting in Charleston. Professor Emily Corio of the Reed College of Media coordinated the event.
In attendance were Emily Bennett, Trey Burwell, Chelsie Hagy, Dakota Lawson and Tristan Legg.
“Being able to witness and be a part of this workshop has been an experience in itself. Not only was I able to learn about the different aspects of journalism, I was also able to broaden what I already knew.” – Emily Bennett“We were given an opportunity that a lot of high school journalists only dream of. I learned several things on how to make my journalism better, broadened my possible career selection and even determined where I might like to go to college. It was an honor, and I am glad my high school was blessed with such an active broadcasting class.” – Trey Burwell“The trip taught me life skills that will benefit me forever. I, being a sophomore, was so lucky to have been given the opportunity. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I learned new things and broadened pathways. It was genuinely amazing.” – Chelsie Hagy“One of my biggest fears has always been the transition from high school to college. This trip has helped remove my fears tremendously, while educating me with a deep understanding of journalism. I have always wanted to be a surgeon, and now I am not as afraid to begin my journey. I made new friends and created more connections with my older friends. I can honestly say this trip has changed my opinions on college and has given me a greater appreciation of journalism.” – Dakota Lawson“I am so glad that we were given the opportunity to go on this journalism trip to Morgantown. I learned so much about journalism and also college in general. We learned many new techniques and strategies to improve our school broadcasting class.” – Kendra Lipps