CAC Students Attend Washington Journalism and Media Conference

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” These words of Jesus are found in John 8:32, and while Jesus was discussing a much higher truth, the words still ring true for any idealistic journalist looking to hold the powerful accountable to the people. 

For senior Emma Milan and junior Kate Tuxhorn, a love of journalism and the expectation to do good in the world led to an unforgettable summer experience in Washington, D.C. The two earned acceptance to the Washington Journalism and Media Conference and spent an incredible week in July soaking up all of the ins and outs of journalism from professionals working in the field.

“The conference really reinforced what I want to do,” senior Emma Milam said. “It was very beneficial to me, and the speakers were encouraging.”

The conference was held at George Mason University, and Emma and Kate, along with dozens of other junior and senior high school journalism students from across the country were placed in dorms on the campus. Each day was filled with presentations from professionals working in the various fields of journalism and communication, excursions to D.C.-area points of interest and real-time case studies, called simulations, which put the students in the shoes of journalists exploring how to best report on given situations.

“I think the simulations were the most interesting part,” Kate said. “They set up scenarios where you had to work through different issues you might face in school like journalistic integrity and censorship. You had to think through them like you were on a school staff.”

Emma appreciated the lessons that offered applicable strategies to improve her skills as a journalist.

“I like to interview people and write, and the conference gave me some writing and communication skills,” Emma said. “I learned how to get better content from people when you interview them.”

In addition to working professionals, Emma and Kate also got to meet many other students their age from across the U.S. and even internationally. While the prospect of spending an entire week with people you don’t know may sound daunting, for both students it ended up being a highlight of their experience. 

According to Kate, she was able to connect with many students at the event who were from other regions, including a few with ties to Arkansas. 

“We just got to talk country for a while,” Kate said, after connecting with fellow Southern students and junior faculty, including a student who had moved from North Little Rock years ago. “All she could remember of Arkansas was Scoop Dog and Larry’s Pizza.

“There also was a girl from Oklahoma who had just left church camp, so we got to talk about our faith.”

Incredibly, neither Kate nor Emma knew that the other was attending the same conference until they saw each other in the airport. 

“I had no idea [Emma] was going to be there until I saw her loading into the camp van,” Kate said. “I thought, ‘What are the odds that she’s here?’”

It turns out that both students became aware of the opportunity to attend the camp independently. Then they independently applied for acceptance and the next thing they knew was that the two, who had played together in CAC’s Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band, were on this adventure in the nation’s capital together. 

For Kate, the chance to attend the conference gave her a clearer view and expectation for what she wants to do as a future journalist. She heard from many distinguished professionals throughout the conference from the fields of broadcasting, news writing and many more, including photojournalism, which is Kate’s passion.

“I 100 percent want to do this,” Kate said. “I have always been interested in [photojournalism]. It’s not that other jobs are not important, but I like that this job makes a difference and I can see myself in it.”

Emma is also interested in pursuing a career in the field of journalism, but her interests lie more on the sports side of the profession.

“I want to work in sports media, particularly something in baseball and basketball,” Emma said. “I like digital media and social media, and broadcast seems fun, too. I’ll just see where my studies lead me.”

While the future waits, both students are honing their craft on CAC’s student publications. Kate works as a photographer for the Mustang yearbook, while Emma works as a writer for the Pony Press student newsletter. Their teacher, Hannah Owens, said both girls showcase a tremendous amount of promise in their potential professions.

“Kate’s always been a naturally curious person,” Mrs. Owens said. “I always talk about how the best journalists are naturally curious. She always wants to understand the ‘why?’ of everything.”

“With Emma, I always noticed that all her projects are always well written….She just knows how to talk to people, how to find the story, what the most important part of the story is and how to prioritize those things.”

Both students said that their week in Washington energized them for their work on the yearbook and the Pony Press. The conference helped them to understand the importance and responsibility journalists have to tell the truth, even in their little corner of Central Arkansas. 

“It was fun to see that we were all kids, even though we were there for a very serious thing,” Kate said. “Even if you don’t go into journalism, it was a really cool way to learn more about news and how that affects the world and the country.”