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My Media Scholars Practicum

For my practicum, I was part of a media literacy outreach team. We went to a local middle school to teach them about media literacy. We will be going to an elementary school soon to do the same, as well as hosting a media literacy table for Maryland Day.

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I found out about my practicum through an email Alison sent about this opportunity, and it sounded great. I encourage freshmen to talk with Kelly about their options, because I know I was very lucky to be able to snag this opportunity to complete my practicum.

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From my practicum, I learned how to work in a group setting with close friends that I had made through the Media Scholars program. I also learned how to work with different age groups that I hadn’t really interacted with before, and how to approach the topic at a level they would understand. I learned how to interact with those of a different intellect level and still keep them engaged.

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I have grown as a student because I learned how to teach younger children and teens about stuff that I was also learning, too. I haven’t interacted with the younger generation of today that much, and they are very different from my generation of elementary schoolers and middle schoolers. For the most part, they are more involved in the news and more tech-savvy. Even the sixth graders I talked to knew what was happening in Ukraine right now, and most of them had social media as well, something I didn’t have at that age. 

practicum photo.JPEG

I chose this picture of me teaching my group of sixth graders about media literacy. I look very engaged and so do the children. I was always told I should be a teacher when I was in high school but I vehemently rejected that notion. But now, who knows? I loved the feeling that I had made a difference, and actually taught kids something that stayed with them. 

I can apply my practicum to my career because as a journalism major, I want to show employers that I can do more in the journalism field than just write stories. I can do community outreach within my field and be successful. I also know that if I ever wanted to enter the teaching realm, I could and I would like it.

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My plans for the rest of my time at UMD include continuing to perfect my journalism and continue to secure great experiences. This summer I am working with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, and I’m very excited. For my prospective career, I know I want to do journalism, and trying so many different things in the field has led me to not narrow in on just one type of journalism. I love the news and I love telling peoples’ stories, so any way I can be involved, I know I would love it.

Updated Resume:

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Education

Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park

College Park Scholars - Media, Self and Society

Expected graduation: May 2024

GPA: 3.8

 

Experience

Stories Beneath The Shell, University of Maryland, College Park

Staff Writer, Copy Editor, Photographer: October 2020 - Present  

  • Staff Writer — news and features; pitch story ideas, interview sources, write articles

  • Copy Editor — proofreading, fact-checking and editing

  • Photographer —  multimedia, Canon EOS Rebel T6, EF-S 18-55 mm and EF 75-300 mm lenses 

 

The Diamondback, University of Maryland, College Park   

Freelance Reporter, Copy Editor: Fall 2021 - Present

  • Freelance Reporter — arts and culture

  • Copy Editor — extensive fact-checking, editing for style

 

WMUC Radio, University of Maryland, College Park   

Freelance Writer: Fall 2020

  • Freelance Writer — news updates, including politics, community and university affairs

 

Summer Journalism Academy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA  

Reporter: Summer 2019 

  • Writer for The Harvard Crimson

 

Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park

Merrill Correspondent: June 2021- Present 

  • Ambassador and panelist representing Merrill College to prospective students

 

Media, Self, and Society College Park Scholars, University of Maryland, College Park

Media Literacy Outreach team member:  January 2022- Present 

  • Member of an outreach team that teaches local grade school children about media literacy

 

Awards and Honors

  • Journalism President’s Scholarship

  • The Robert C. Keith Investigative Journalism Scholarship

  • The Gertrude Poe Fund for Journalism Excellence

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