On January 26th, aspiring journalists attended the SWSC Journalism Conference, exposing them to the different aspects of the journalism field. People who have professions in journalism came in to present their experiences. These included executive producers,a WGN news anchor, a social media influencer, and community relations specialist. Students were able to ask questions they were curious about, and those in the journalism field were able to offer their knowledge and expertise. Many schools and students were able to come together to express their shared interest in the jobs regarding journalism. A conference like this can influence people who were unsure of getting into journalism professionally to take a look at what it is all about.  

To start, students began with a panel including WGN News Anchor Ben Bradley, CBS Executive Producer Sandy Pudar, and CBS President and General Manager, Jennifer Lyons. They were able to give a thorough introduction on the basics of journalism and how it has affected them in their life and careers. Throughout this panel, students Helen Ambrose and Kylie Sullivan were able to interview them, asking pertinent questions about their careers. Letting students ask and take the lead in this panel helped improve their interviewing skills for their future.  The powerhouse journalists discussed everything from ethics in journalism to their advice for budding journalists.

After the panel, the students broke out into breakout rooms, being able to get into smaller, more personal groups and ask more questions. In one breakout room, influencer Angela Kenney, better known by her Facebook and Instagram handle teachinginheels, got to share her experiences coming from the social media field. She got to share how she got into promoting on social media and how it has affected her life. In another breakout room, Allison Kaleta (a former Lincoln-Way Central journalism student) was able to explain how she navigated different paths in the journalism field from her work as a local sports anchor to her current job as the community relations specialist for Orland School District 135.  News anchor Ben Bradley shared his stories that he has worked on and experiences in the local news. Lastly, Sandy Pudar and Jennifer Lyons shared the realities of working in this field and how great of an impact it has on their lives. Overall the conference was an incredible learning experience and opportunity for those who are interested in a future in  journalism! 

To add to the excitement, Lincoln-Way Central’s own staff writers walked away with several awards for their work:

• Conor Meehan earned 1st place for his Features article on Mokena Video.
• Kylie Sullivan earned 2nd place for her News article re-capping the Road-to-Reality event this past fall.
• And Helen Ambrose earned 3rd place for her Sports article chronicling the girls’ tennis season.