Students from South High’s journalism pathway recently participated in the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) High School Media conference and walked away with more knowledge about the careers, skills and opportunities in the field.
The day began in a large ballroom where Andrew Stem, chairman of the day and UNO lecturer, introduced the event and shared insights about journalism. Stem introduced key ideas, including the importance of storytelling and communication in today’s media environment. After the introduction, students attended two breakout sessions with different focuses on journalism.
One session featured Omaha World Herald photographer Niko Frazier who explained his daily routine as a photojournalist for the local newspaper. Frazier shared examples of his work and included a question-and-answer segment which allowed students to learn more about photography as a profession.
A different breakout session featured journalists Avarie Howard and Ana Bellinghausen from Hurrdat Sports who discussed confidence and personal growth in journalism. They emphasized the importance of being comfortable with one’s voice and encouraged students not to be discouraged by people’s opinions. The two also shared their own experiences and explained how they became involved in journalism. Their advice focused on stepping outside of comfort zones and taking risks in order to grow as journalists.
After the sessions, students returned to the ballroom for lunch, where pizza, salad, cookies and drinks were provided. The event continued with another speaker, Waverle Monroe, an anchor and reporter for KETV, who spoke about her life and experiences in journalism. After her speech, awards were announced, and three students from South were recognized for their work in The Tooter: Jennifer Ayala, third place in Newspaper Reviews; Savannah Galas, third place in News Stories; and Jack Wildrick, third place in Newspaper Sports Features.
The trip wrapped up with students returning to school after a full day at UNO, giving them a chance to learn new skills and experience the world of journalism in a fun and engaging way.
