It was a snowy day in January 2022 when I received the invitation — I’d been nominated to attend a journalism program over the summer. I scoured the countless letters I had received for the details. The program was called The Washington Journalism and Media Conference (or, WJMC), and it was essentially a two-week camp experience that would take place at George Mason University, just outside of Washington, D.C.
Every year, the coordinators of the camp invited people to nominate National Youth Correspondents from all across the country to represent their high schools while engaging in a hands-on environment. The days of the camp would consist of listening to guest speakers, participating in journalism simulations, and exploring D.C.
Nowhere in the letters I received did it mention the name of the person who nominated me, and I was quite confused since I hadn’t shown any interest in journalism before receiving the letter. My mom and I assumed it was likely a teacher I’d had in the past since I’d always been strong in my writing abilities. A core memory of mine was from second grade when my teacher commented that I’d be a famous writer one day. I thought it was silly at the time since I wanted to be a teacher.
Despite not having any journalism experience, I seriously considered this opportunity. At the time that I received the invitation, I was at a standstill with what I wanted to do with my life. That was stressful since I was a sophomore in high school, so college applications were like dark clouds in the distance.
I’d flip-flopped for years between so many options. Since childhood, I’d always wanted to teach, but then my interests shifted when I was entering high school and I realized that education was not the path I wanted to go down. I considered being a lawyer for a little while, something my parents always told me I’d be good at. But sophomore year I realized that while being a lawyer might be in my skill set, I didn’t think I would necessarily enjoy it.
I took that letter as almost a sign from the universe to take action. I thought that maybe taking the opportunity would lead me to where I was supposed to be. I was a strong writer; maybe I just needed someone to nudge me toward where I belonged.
The price of WJMC was anything but cheap, a few thousand dollars, which was why my parents hesitated at first to send me. I was hesitant too, not just because of the price, but because I wasn’t sure what to expect from an experience so foreign to me. But I had a gut feeling and voiced that to my parents. We gave it a lot of thought and realized what I would get out of the camp for the sum of money. It would cover everything, from meals to housing to transportation to and from events. After a month or so, they made the payment and it was official: I was going to journalism camp!
I took the months before the camp to research and connect with others who were also attending the camp. Many of us joked that we thought the invitation was a scam, since despite the information we were all given, some of the information was ambiguous as well.
I arrived on July 17th with a nervous energy, still not entirely sure what to expect. But right off the bat, I felt welcome at WJMC. Every attendee was divided into “color groups” so that it would be easier to participate in activities and make close connections. (I was in the pink group, which was my favorite color, so I took that as another sign!)
I ended up meeting so many people, both in and out of my color group, who were at the camp for various reasons. Some people came from years of journalism experience, and some even had podcasts or other media outlets they were involved in. But some people were just like me: people who were good writers but weren’t exactly sure what they were doing with the experience yet.
The program was insanely organized, with a detailed itinerary for each day. On day one, we were immediately thrown into the deep end. I made a lot of new friends, went to dinner, and listened to our first speaker, followed by working on elevator pitches in our groups. From there, the days got busier and busier.
The activities ranged from intimate experiences, like daily meetings with our color groups, to camp-wide experiences, like when we explored D.C. One of the most rewarding portions of the camp was when we got to attend speaker events. The people who spoke to us came from a variety of places, such as broadcast journalism, print journalism, and even WJMC alumni. These were people with real experiences and inspiring stories. My favorite was Andrias White Murdaugh, a broadcast journalist whose story was the most moving to me.
My favorite part of the trip was when the whole camp took a day trip to D.C., where I had the opportunity to explore the countless monuments and memorials, and even see the White House! That day was the most memorable since I genuinely got closer with my group members.
We ate breakfast in the George Mason dining hall every day and often ate our other meals off campus, at restaurants like Buca di Beppo. Some other experiences we partook in were a journalism simulation with our color groups, a fun game show-type activity called Color Feud, and exploring the National Mall. D.C. became my official favorite city on this trip. The historical value, as well as the countless fun things to do, made it so appealing.
Experiencing such a fast-paced environment gave me a taste of what working in the journalism or communications industries would actually be like, as well as my first experience on a college campus. Despite being so intense, I enjoyed it. I truly identified with many of my peers, as well as some of the speakers. By the end of the program, I’d formed such valuable connections and had so much fun that saying goodbye on the last day was one of the most difficult things I’d had to do in my life up until that point.
On the night before we parted ways with the camp and each other, WJMC hosted a gala, which was such a fun yet bittersweet way to end everything. We spent that night dancing, singing, and having one last fun moment as a program. By the end of the night, I felt so nostalgic for these people and this place that I’d only known for five days.
I left the next morning with a heavy, yet happy heart. I got home and told my family how happy I was that I went, and how thankful I was that they sent me. I knew that I’d made the right decision in trusting my gut and taking that leap of faith, because besides the meaningful connections I made, I knew what I wanted to do with myself, and for the first time, I was 100% confident in that.
WJMC did so much for me when it came to my personal development and really altered the course of my life. After the camp, I took journalism as a class during my junior year, consequently bringing me to love writing. I loved the release that putting my thoughts on paper brought me. For once, I felt that something was truly for me.
I applied to colleges the next year as a Communications major since I figured that communications covered such a wide variety of careers that if journalism didn’t work out for whatever reason, I would have other options. I was also chosen as the Sports Editor for my school paper that year, even though it was only my second year in Journalism. This brought me an immense sense of accomplishment.
It turned out that I was right in choosing Communications as my major instead of journalism. When I got to college, I was introduced to even more perspectives, and as a result, different interests. I became much more interested in the political side of the media and made a change in the career path that I wanted to go down. My plan, as of right now, is to major in Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Political Science to become a Campaign Manager or something along those lines.
I still find writing to be a means of release for me, hence why I write for Her Campus. Journalism is not completely out of the picture, but I’m exploring other things that interest me.
I attribute WJMC to everything I have accomplished thus far, as well as who I am today. While the program did not push me directly into where I needed to be, it certainly led me to it. If I hadn’t said “yes” to this unconventional experience, I would have never considered trying what I’m planning on doing as of now. Honestly, I think I would have been completely lost, or going down a path that I wasn’t sure of.
WJMC taught me one of my life mottos: never underestimate the power of the word “yes.” Stepping out of your comfort zone might introduce you to new people, places, and perspectives that you wouldn’t encounter otherwise. If your gut is telling you to do something, take that jump. It might be scary, and you might not know where you’ll end up, but at the end of the day, the only way to know is to try.