Personal Statement
Many people imagine that journalists are lone crusaders, constantly pursuing the next big headline; that we are endowed with some extraordinary talent for uncovering the important stories of the day. In my experience, the opposite is true. As soon as your community knows that you are a journalist, they will bring the stories to you. As long as you listen carefully to every perspective and fairly represent others' experiences, these stories will continue to seek you out.
Over the course of my two years as a student journalist, I have endeavored to answer the highest calling of a free press: to uplift the voices of the marginalized and hold powerful actors accountable. Through groundbreaking investigations, insightful features, and tenacious opinion pieces, I strive to uphold the truth while exploring complicated and controversial issues. My journalism is driven by a deeply personal desire to expose injustice and inequality in my community. Through shedding light on wrongdoing, I aim to equip those around me with the information necessary to spur real change.
This year, I learned the sizable impact that meaningful, equitable journalism can have on communities. My reporting on the extent of the discrimination and abuse experienced by LGBTQ+ students at Catholic high schools raised awareness around their plight after it was widely read in Omaha’s Catholic community. The principal of one of the high schools featured in my article emailed the article to every member of faculty. A theology professor at nearby Jesuit university began using the story in his classes when teaching about the relationship between LGBTQ+ people and the Catholic Church.
My investigation into racial and socioeconomic disparities in advanced classes at my school sparked vital conversations about educational inequality. My reporting swiftly brought the severity of these inequities to the attention of policymakers in my city and state. Several passages from the article were read and discussed by members of my district’s school board at a meeting. The story was later read in its entirety by a state senator on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature during a debate on school funding legislation.
As I step into the role of co-Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper next year, I hope to pass on the skills and knowledge I have gained from my reporting efforts this year to the staff I will oversee. I plan on re-aligning our publication’s news coverage, centering investigative and enterprise journalism that features our student body in all its diversity and complexity.
By its very nature, the scholastic press is a community-focused form of journalism. I was able to elevate the voices of my community by cultivating valuable relationships with my readers, and accurately portarying their experiences. In this portfolio, you will find five of the best stories that sought me out this school year.
Portfolio
The Honors Gap: How Central’s advanced classes perpetuate inequality among students
The gravest inequalities are always those that pervade communities so deeply, that people scarcely acknowledge their existence. The overrepresentation of white students in advanced academics at my school is immediately apparent to anyone who has stepped into an honors class. But, this state of affairs had become so taken for granted among students at my school, these disparities were only mentioned in passing. Over the course of a meticulous, months-long investigation, I was able to catalog the experiences of students of color in advanced classes and offer a detailed account of the systemic barriers that prevent students of color and economically disadvantaged students from accessing gifted and talented education. By analyzing demographic data on the students in advanced courses at my school, I was able to reveal the seriousness of these racial and socioeconomic disparities. The investigation succeeded in placing inequities in Central's advanced classes at the forefront of shared discourse around educational policy within the walls of my school and beyond.
LGBTQ+ students in Omaha Catholic schools
When the Archdiocese of Omaha unveiled a controversial new policy on transgender students at the 70 Catholic schools, local media immediately jumped on the story. Archdiocesan officials, Catholic school parents, and local LGBTQ+ advocates were all quoted in article after article about the policy. Conspicuously absent from these stories, however, were the perspectives of the students this policy would actually affect. In an an effort to fill this gap in coverage, I interviewed dozens of LGBTQ+ students at six Catholic high schools about their experiences and their views on the new policy. Understanding the serious risk that using students’ names could pose to their privacy and safety at school, my editors and I made the difficult decision to honor the requests of sources still attending Catholic schools to remain anonymous. I was able to protect the identities of my sources while ensuring the accuracy of my coverage by having multiple sources corroborate the experiences and events reported by the students I spoke to.
The future of Nebraska Journalism
Local journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy. Local newsrooms foster civic engagement by informing readers about the issues that directly affect their lives. However, over the last several years, legacy newspapers across the country have seen their revenue dwindle and their budgets slashed as they have struggled to adapt to the digital age. In the wake of the Omaha World-Herald laying off 25 percent of its staff, I set out to inform my readers of the causes and consequences of this precipitous decline in my state. However, while gathering information for the story, I also discovered that an increasing number of alternative and nonprofit news outlets were emerging in Nebraska. With this story, I examined our evolving news ecosystem and the possibility of a more decentralized, equitable future for Nebraska journalism.
Matthew Ray wants to bring peace to OPS
In times of crisis, leaders often become lightning rods for criticism and controversy. Dr. Cheryl Logan, Superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, became a divisive figure as she led Nebraska’s largest school district through the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the pathways and academies program she implemented sharply divided parents and teachers. When Logan announced her resignation, many community members aired questions about who would lead the district during the school board’s search for her successor. Shortly after Deputy Superintendent Matthew Ray was selected as interim superintendent for the next school year, I became the first journalist granted an interview with him. In my profile, I delved into Ray’s character, background, and the impact his leadership could have on the district.
The politics of Taylor Swift
Despite the erosion of public trust in institutions, many young people still regard individual celebrities with the utmost reverence. Musicians in particular have been able to amass fiercely loyal teenage fanbases whose herd mentality often undermines the ability of fans to think critically about the actions of their favorite singer. After the release of her tenth studio album “Midnights” the continuation of Taylor Swift’s one-woman reign over pop music seemed all but assured. In the past few years, the once staunchly apolitical songstress had become vocal about issues of gender equality, leading many fans to label her as a feminist icon. However, her past actions and statements left me skeptical about the intentions and authenticity of her advocacy. In this op-ed, my colleague and I scrutinized the political ideology of Taylor Swift, inviting our high school readership to consider the extent to which her feminism truly challenges gender-based oppression.
