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SBU | Career

You Are Not A Student. You Are A Journalist.

Delaney Chase Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

I wasn’t really sure when I would be allowed to consider myself a REAL journalist.

Sure, I’ve written plenty of stories and done plenty of interviews, but I think I have always thought of myself as a student journalist. Now, to the average person, it may seem as if there is no difference, but to me, the difference is huge.

In January of last year, I began my fellowship with News21. 

I knew, even before I began this endeavor, that it would change my life. 

We began the fellowship with a weekly, semester-long Zoom class.

Within the first few classes, our editor told us, “You are not student journalists. You are journalists.” It did take me a while to feel that way, however. 

Seeing everyone on my computer screen and doing interviews over the phone didn’t make it seem real just quite yet. 

It wasn’t till I flew to Phoenix, unpacked my luggage, and sat at my very own desk with my very own News21-branded coffee mug that it finally hit me.

I am a journalist. This is what I am meant to do. 

I spent my summer in Phoenix, Arizona, with about 25 other journalists from colleges across the country (Bonaventure was the smallest of course) doing long-form journalism stories on the state of American democracy.

On our first day at the Cronkite School of Journalism, (you thought I was going to write this entire piece and not brag. You’re lucky I even made it this far) we went around the room and introduced ourselves as well as gave a 5–word mantra that we hoped to follow for the rest of the summer. I chose “I can do hard things.” After that day, my desk neighbor Emily wrote my mantra on a sticky note I could look at any time I was feeling the words “I can’t” slip into my brain and out of my mouth. 

Very early on into the program, I expressed my interest in Gen Z participation in politics. I could now write about 2000 words about Gen Z political engagement and education, but I will spare you, dear reader (you’re welcome). 

While everyone else was interviewing January 6 insurrectionists, state politicians, and election officials, I was interviewing teens, young adults, and teachers. And I loved every second of it. 

After about a month, a few people in my reporting group and I flew to Indiana, where we attended a week-long conference for teachers about educating elementary, middle, and high school students on United States civics.

Interviewing these teachers about their successes and struggles in teaching civics to today’s youth not only made for great quotes, audio, and photographs, but it also inspired me. It helped me understand just how badly these children, who will one day be voters, politicians, protesters, and activists, need civics education, maybe now more than ever. 

At the end of the summer, I, along with my editor, co-writer, and the rest of my reporting group, produced a written story, videos, photographs, an audio story, and a historical timeline that I couldn’t be prouder of. And that’s just ONE reporting group. 

Every piece of work created this past summer at News21 was amazing, thoughtful, and JOURNALISM at its finest. 

Not only did I learn so much from my editors, but I learned from my colleagues as well. Many of them had more experience, knowledge, and skill than I did. And they were willing to share with me. For that, I could not be more grateful. 

Very quickly into our summer, my colleagues also became my friends. We spent practically every waking second together. We had more family dinners, movie nights, and Taco Bell Cantina trips than I can count. 

I had so many experiences this summer that I will never forget. I saw the Grand Canyon. I tried Colombian food, Korean Barbecue, Cane’s, and In-N-Out. I sat in a newsroom while we all stared at the tiny TVs, watching history be written (and stories be rewritten). 

Although this time was crazy, amazing, wonderful, and, not to mention, life-changing, I hope to make a million memories just like these ones and a million memories nothing like these ones. 

Because I AM a journalist.

Delaney Chase

SBU '25

Delaney Chase is the co-campus correspondent for the St. Bonaventure University Her Campus chapter. She works with the other campus correspondent and various board members to communicate with the rest of the Her Campus community as well as edit articles and lead weekly meetings.

Delaney is a junior and is currently studying journalism and political science. She also is a writer for TAP into Greater Olean, an online news platform in the St. Bonaventure area, as well as a captain of the St. Bonaventure Women's Club Basketball team and Vice President of SBU for Equality. She enjoys hearing and sharing experiences with those of similar interests and enjoys being involved in different activities across the SBU campus. She finds this a great way to gain connections with those at her university and in nearby areas. She is enjoys the ability to gain experience and further her knowledge of the communications field.

Outside of her time in school, Delaney loves listening to Taylor Swift and will take absolutely any opportunity to bring her up in conversation. She can often be found at the campus Starbucks with her friends ordering a pumpkin spice latte or brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso. She enjoys reading classic novels but also loves watching the trashiest reality TV shows.