Caeden Conley

The Media Capital

New York City is known by many as the media capital of the world; a jam-packed, news-generating powerhouse, where virtually every type of person can be found throughout the five boroughs. Within the city’s richly woven culture, the opportunities for writers are endless. Whether doing broadcast news or writing for newspapers, there is no better place for a journalist to thrive than in the city that never sleeps.

The School of The New York Times

Lucky for me, this summer I was fortunate enough to be accepted and attend the School of The New York Times Summer Academy, where I had the opportunity to develop my reporting skills throughout New York City. Working under Ivy League professors and New York Times journalists, I was able to use the city as an extension of my classroom, determine what type of information is newsworthy, and write hard news articles on events in the Upper West Side of NYC, such as Pride at St. John’s the Divine. Moreover, I visited cultural sites, museums, colleges, and journalism workspaces, where I had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of covering social, political, artistic, and personal experiences through critical thinking. 

Over this two-week immersive journalism experience, I connected with New York City through a multitude of inspiring academic lessons. After discovering and applying to the SONYT Summer Academy in my junior year, I never thought the journey would be so transformative to my education. Yet, I now bring the same knowledge and aspirations for writing that I gained in NYC to the inclusive classrooms and clubs at iUniversity Prep. Where I was unknowingly prepared for the Big Apple’s wrath. From having to traverse subway systems to living in a dorm, the summer academy is an overall amazing opportunity for any young, aspiring journalist, writer, and overall gregarious personality. 

Preparation at iUP

However, as a student at iUniversity Prep, I was never overwhelmed with any work put in front of me. Through journalism courses under Mr. Cram, language arts classes under Mrs. Carlin, previous knowledge from iHoot lessons, and the many other teachers who have molded my knowledge over the last six years, I was more than prepared to step into a collegiate-level journalism course as a scholar. In fact, the Ivy League professor who was leading my class was even surprised by the knowledge I had about journalism. When asking students to describe the “smoking gun” term used by many journalists as a quotation for conclusive evidence, I responded with the definition, and he was quite surprised. “Where did you learn that?” he asked. “Through my school courses,” I responded. This was only one of the few examples of preparation that iUniversity Prep has prepared me for as a scholar when attending SONYT. With the renowned teachers at iUP, any academic knowledge is possible to obtain.

In The End

Whether preparing for the STAAR test or taking collegiate-level journalism courses in New York City, there is no better place to learn than iUniversity Prep. Not only are the teachers amazing at constructing memorable knowledge, but student-run clubs such as iHoot will greatly prepare you for any challenging academic experiences. With everything considered, I wouldn’t have been able to succeed at the School of The New York Times without the help of everyone that paved my way at iUP; the perfect school for the inquiry of comprehending and preparing students for future academic challenges.

https://nytedu.com/

https://nytedu.com/courses/pre-college/writing-the-big-city-reporting-in-new-york/

https://nytedu.com/faculty/