It was only last October, I remember getting off the phone with the Communications Department at Chicago Public Schools and running to my Journalism teacher to tell her the good news. The news of granting a student journalist access to school board meeting as a member of the press; as long as I had a press pass. Minutes after relaying the news, there I was, with it in my hand – my school ID card with a few added graphics with the added line “PNN Reporter.”
I brought my press pass with me to USF, because there are memories and experiences that are attached to it. Whenever I was going through a rough patch in my few weeks here, I would just look at it and remind myself of those times. That piece of plastic truly transformed my life. My whole senior year, that press pass not only granted me access to some of Chicago’s most elite events, but interviews with prominent politicos/influencers. Top reporters from various news outlets and print publications treated me as if I were on of them – someone who’s been in the game – and even offered me shadowing opportunities and personal contact information. The ability to learn from them and their communication methods continues to inspire my decision to become a communication studies major.
The longing to be the voice of reason for Chicago Public School only solidifies inside of me…