Natalie Le (284)

There were many Central students this summer who gained experiences from all over the world to broaden their horizons and add to their impressive list of extracurriculars. A member of the senior class, Kyle Lin (283), had the rare opportunity to attend Princeton’s selective journalism program which gathers students from all over the country to gain experience in the field of writing. During his ten days at Princeton, he attended lectures from professors in the university, wrote for the Princeton newspaper, made play reviews, visited large journalism corporations in New York City, interviewed new people, and participated in many more activities that pushed his capabilities. The program was not only focused on journalism, but on other important topics such as economics, politics, future college admissions, and generally provided fun memories to share with the diverse people at the university. 

The people at Princeton prove that journalism is a meaningful and worthwhile endeavor. . Each counselor and some professors had their own unique path that led them to journalism depending on the trajectory of their lives. The lectures they made are passionate and inspiring, encouraging people to venture into journalism. Not only do they nurture talent, but the array of subjects that professors expressed their love for by writing is endless. Counselors and professors spoke about fashion journalism, war history, scientific breakthroughs, moral dilemmas, and music by creating pieces that informed or persuaded the world. By listening to insight from professors with different backgrounds, their knowledge teaches students like Kyle “techniques and ways of thinking” as well as offering “more perspective on the world.” Talking to writers who love their career and have a strong understanding of their field proves a great way to better grasp one’s future endeavors. The new connections with people of similar interests are valuable and can boost ideas to create success in the future. Even the college counselors provided by Princeton help students to enroll in a college that fits them and guides their journey to correlate with their changing passions.

Princeton’s program offered exposure within the professional field through its numerous trips and tasks. A few of the places they toured were the New York Times newsroom, CNBC newsroom, and Bloomberg News. The environment of these large corporations is crucial to understanding the field of journalism and helping students decide what they may want to pursue. When taken to watch a play, students were then required to write a review based on their perspective of the play. Students even had to interview strangers and even people on the streets on short notice to develop social abilities as well as interview skills. Princeton offers students a chance to visit these large corporations, give interviews, and write pieces based on experiences to simulate situations that journalists encounter in the real world. 

Despite being known as a prestigious university, Princeton is inviting, nurturing, fun, and like Kyle said, filled with “people that are just good people.” The new experiences gained would be impressive for college applications and useful for pursuing writing. Even if your interests do not lie in journalism, being involved with the university is valuable and would make a memorable way to spend your summer.