Peers as instructive as speakers at conference

Courtesy photo by SAM KITTNER

Jeremy Halstead with Al Neuharth. Halstead was the male winner of the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship from West Virginia.

By Jeremy Halstead
Sherman High School

My senior year has been an exciting time, albeit one filled with dozens of scholarship applications and other forms. However, this paperwork has paid off in the end. Of my many scholarship awards, one that I am truly proud of is the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholar Award.

I am proud to be the male representative from West Virginia for the scholarship's accompanying Free Spirit Conference in Washington, D.C. It was an amazing five days.

This was my first flight and my first time visiting the D.C. area, both of which were very exciting. I was most excited to be staying at the Watergate Hotel - and with no expense to my debit card.

During the conference, we attended many events. Some were fun, some were educational, and some were both. Many guest speakers of great importance in the different fields of journalism were involved, including Bob Schieffer, Betty Winston Bayé and Tim Russert. Of course, each lecture was packed with practical advice and great anecdotes from each of the talented speakers.

The most unique feature of this conference was the fact that all 102 high school students were treated as the young adults and budding journalists that we are. After each guest's lecture, we were encouraged to ask questions, one-on-one, with no-holds barred.

Some things that I learned from the conversations with the guests are that it is essential to exercise our bodies and minds in order to stay alive and that, just as in politics (which is closely related to journalism), it is important to know influences from the past.

Also, I learned that one day, we might all be "mojos" -- no, not that mythical element from the "Austin Powers" movies, but a "motor journalist," working from our laptops in the front seat of our Chevy Aveos while we travel to the news.

However, as educational as the guest speakers were, the students were the driving force of the conference. I honestly don't think I could say from whom I learned more -- the distinguished guest speakers or my distinguished colleagues. The amount of skill and intelligence displayed among my peers was impressive. Each student, able to aptly report and defend his or her point of view, was a force to be reckoned with.

I hope that I portrayed myself in a manner that is as memorable to my fellow Free Spirits as they were to me. I certainly made several good friends from all over the country, and though we are more familiar with answering to our state than our name, that has little to do with the relationships forged and the information and experiences shared. After all, what's in a name really?