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When I got the call that I would be going to San Francisco to compete in the Hearst Journalism Championships, I was ecstatic, but mostly just nervous. I imagined five days of cutthroat competition, little sleep and a serious test of wit and will. I found all those things, but I also found friendships, insight from industry professionals and the opportunity to explore San Francisco by immersing myself in one of the city’s great treasures.
After receiving our assignment—go to Golden Gate Park, find a story and write it—my fellow contestants and I experienced a mixture of dread and excitement. Dread at the thought of researching, reporting and writing the story in one day, but excitement about the freedom to choose what we would write, and how. In the end, the prompt led to a vast array of stories about everything from homelessness, to park gangs, to community programs within the park.
Our other two stories centered on an interview with enigmatic author, writer, actor, musician and jack-of-all-trades Peter Coyote. Again, the wide range of Coyote’s talents and interests led to differences in our stories, despite their focus on an identical subject.
Although the intense competition is something I'll remember forever, the most valuable part of the program was the chance to interact with passionate young journalists from across the country, hear how their schools are dealing with a rapidly changing industry, and speak with industry professionals about what we can expect when we enter that industry. I look forward to the day years down the road when I open a newspaper—or turn on the television or radio—to recognize a fellow competitor's name and see where their career has taken them. I'm sure we'll all do fine.
