Karen G. graduated from Learn4Life in 2018 but wasn’t ready to start college. She was always a good student and liked writing but, like many high school graduates, she wasn’t sure what type of career she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
Then an email landed in her inbox that would set her on the path to her future career – an invitation to become a Fellow in Learn4Life’s new Civic Literacy and Media Influence (CLMI) scholarship program. It ignited her excitement to sharpen her skills at writing, blogging and media experience.
“I learned to have intentionality in a niche to solidify my writing and be more appealing to readers,” she explained.
“The research, writing and preparation process that comes with media and journalism solidified my interest in communications. It’s a lot of hard work to prepare but in the end, it is so rewarding.”
CLMI is a 12-week course where students learn fundamentals in journalism, editorial narrative, public policy, government and politics, and storytelling. Students who complete the program receive a $1,000 scholarship.
“I’ve always had a passion for writing and storytelling and learned that I can have a professional career doing just the things that bring me joy,” she said. “At this school I learned self-discipline and how to track my progress, which has greatly helped me in college.”
Karen is enrolled in community college with plans to transfer to a four-year college to earn a degree in communications and media. In the interim she launched a blog and is planning to produce a podcast and pursue extracurricular activities like film and acting.
“I visited Warner Bros. Studios and during the tour there was a section about the art of screenwriting, which inspired me to build my writing talents. I even bought a souvenir pen that says ‘Writer’ on it!”