I walked into the USC Annenberg Youth Academy Alumni Panel on the 30th of June to join in on the conversation of the successful journalism scholars I would meet that day that were once in the same shoes I am today. I did so with the heavy-heart of knowing that this program would soon come to an end for me just as it did for them. But a heavy heart is also a full one—mine filled with excitement, eagerness and anticipation for what my future has to offer when those days are to come, just as their lively futures had hit them.
That last week spent at Annenberg felt so full circle, and I could grieve the inability to spend my every mornings to early afternoons with my fellow aspiring professional journalists to-be, and a large part of me does, but rather I choose to smile at our pictures reminiscing whilst also being intrigued to figure out what these next steps for us will be.
On our graduation day, the Thursday of July 3rd, my group of friends and I sat with our professors after the ceremony. Professor Rogelio turned to us and asked, “What’s next for you?” It got me thinking about the possibilities that this program opened up, with the knowledge we gained to the networking opportunities we took, I believe every student at AYA has the potential to create the future ahead of them brighter than the stars. Aside from the lectures, the projects, the notes, the knowledge—one of the biggest takeaways from this program for me, and perhaps one of my favorites—was the friendships I’ve acquired that I believe will last a lifetime.
As I grew closer with my friends, we began to share journalism opportunities we’d found to each other, sharing these links even after the program ended. I have never met a group of such intelligent scholars that, despite their competitive natures, will go out of their way to so excitedly share information that will uplift one another and open up future possibilities.
For Communications 101 with Professor Rogelio that last week, aside from the insightful and encouraging Monday Alumni Panel, on Tuesday after our speaker, we did our final project presentations and on Wednesday had a final reflection with the entire class. It was wonderful to get to showcase the final products of what we’d been working on since the beginning of the program on Tuesday—our group podcasts and group Zine projects. Our group’s podcast centered around the issue of the ‘red-pill’ ideology, and our Zine project was about voting registration—the Zine perfectly curated with elaborate color schemes and engaging fonts, definitions to research, QR codes, etc. These projects were the final result of what we’d learned from Professor Rogelio these enlightening three weeks, and I have to say, I am quite proud of what we’d accomplished—not just me or my group, but even listening to the presentations of the class as a whole, learning so much from my peers.
On Wednesday, Professor Rogelio took us outside in an attempt to find a ‘relaxing, calming environment’ yet were greeting with the loud, startling noises of construction around the campus. After our giggling over the irony of leaving our classroom for this, we moved a little farther and ended Communications 101 on a stage behind the Annenberg building where people would relay news—a kind of full circle moment. Professor Rogelio gave his final thoughts and comments about the program this year and then gave the stage (literally) to us to speak our minds. It was quite the bittersweet moment to hear concluding words from our classmates, and I raised my hand somewhere between the nostalgia of reflecting on the past three weeks and deciding what words to use to articulate just how much I learned and appreciated this experience to my professor and classmates.
On our graduation day, Professor Rogelio and Professor Allan Lopez displayed our works from the past few weeks to the parents and the class. It was refreshing and insightful to see what my other classmates had been working on. There was a slideshow presentation that was prepared, and the Photo Essay that I’d submitted for Professor Allan Lopez’s Journalism 101 class was of one of the works that was displayed on a small collage of works on the first slide. The article was titled, “Etched into the Concrete: LA’s Infrastructure Reveals a Legacy of Neglect,” where I reported on where it seems the city’s priorities lie when walking within the sidewalks of certain Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Two students spoke at the graduation ceremony—both of which were among my close group of friends—and they each paid some tribute to our friends, which evoked so much emotional value within our group. Overall, this program coming to a close was nothing short of a bittersweet moment, and reflecting on our time there and how much I learned, as well as all the strong connections I made, I will be forever thankful that I got to partake in this program, and forever grateful for our two wise professors and all of the guest speakers we got to meet. The Annenberg Youth Academy experience was one I truly value and will continue to value as I progress in my journalism endeavors, and I’ll carry the lessons I learned here into every newsroom, interview and story I pursue.
Communicating Change 