NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (KFSM) -- A couple of U of A students are sharing their passion for journalism with high schoolers in Springdale.
Breybinda Alvarez and Wendy Echeverria are both students in the Lemke Department of Journalism at the U of A. While in local high schools, both girls gravitated toward journalism after joining the Lemke Journalism Project. They are now sharing their experiences with aspiring journalists.
“We want for them to get to experience what it means to be a journalist and what exactly a journalist does and who we speak to,” Breybinda Alvarez said.
Students participating in the project report on a story that links back to the community. Alvarez said she's thankful for the program and is excited for her internship this summer at a TV station in Los Angeles.
“This is a really great program but you know having that open mind of there is different programs out there, there are a lot of opportunities out there and kind of if you want to be successful there shouldn't be anything holding you back. LJP is one really great program that we have,” she said.
Echeverria said she also decided to major in journalism because of this project. She's been an integral part of the minority report, a student-produced show focusing on diversity. She said many minorities need a voice.
“So many minorities need the chance or don't have the chance to tell their stories. And so through minority report we as students get the opportunity to let them and give them a platform where they can express how they feel,” she said.
Wendy will be interning for Dateline this summer in New York City. The Lemke Journalism project will start back early next year and spans over six Saturdays on the U of A campus.