With the help of a $1,000 grant from the Shelby County Education Foundation, Montevallo’s broadcast journalism team traveled to Columbia University in New York City to attend a journalism convention, Wednesday, March 15th through Sunday, March 19th.

“We take this trip every other year and it truly is a trip of lifetime for the students who participate,”  journalism teacher Jennifer McCaleb said.  “We are so grateful for the grant from the Education Foundation and the support of our community. Together they helped us raise over $5,000.”

While in New York, the students attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 94th Annual Spring Convention.  Various sessions were held tailored to the varying aspects of journalism. These sessions were not only taught by those already established in the journalism profession, but by fellow high school journalists as well.

“The sessions were very insightful on how journalism impacts a broad spectrum of people,” junior Price Alexander said.

In addition to the convention, the group had the opportunity to experience many aspects of New York City, attending theatrical performances such as the Broadway musical, Wicked; the percussion group, STOMP; as well as visiting well-known attractions such as Grand Central Station, Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, and NBC Studios.

“I got a much broader sense of the world and all the different cultures in it,” junior Riley Key said.  “From eating at Lombardi’s in Little Italy to shopping in China Town, we covered the whole gamut.”

The students who attended the convention included seniors Elizabeth Clark, Lacey Hamrick, Karla Diaz, and Dakota Dubose; juniors Price Alexander, Grace Stermer, Riley Key, Kanan Harbuck, Adam Jones, Daqwan Bryant, Sydney Selman, Abby Smith, Emily Kornegay, Mikayla Cardwell, Madison Childress, and Georgia Hughes; and sophomore Jayden Givens.

“It was a great experience and the people I went with were a lot of fun,” Jones said. “I don’t remember a dull moment; something was always happening”

The students also had the opportunity to visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. This institution contains not only information on the terrible tragedy, but also genuine artifacts from the World Trade Center, including the last pillar the evacuation teams removed.

“It was truly eye-opening,” said junior Madison Childress.