In their own words…

“This is the hardest yet the most rewarding contest you’ll ever have the chance to participate in. I say hardest for a few reasons. One: there is nothing in the world that can make your stomach turn inside out like the feeling of having zero interviews lined up as we’re heading out the door of the hotel toward our shoots (which in my case were nonexistent at that point). And two: the deadline pressure you’re under for the types of high-profile stories you’ll be given is at its absolute peak.

But at the end of that first day, when in fact you DO return to the hotel with some material, you will feel great. There’s no describing that feeling—the feeling that you did not totally fail, and that at least you got something.

For me, the best part about meeting my fellow television finalists and the other categories’ finalists was knowing that I’ll have the honor of sharing the field with them upon graduation. These few are going to be a part of the crowd of reporters who make up the future of news, and I’m proud to join them. Turns out there really are young reporters who sincerely care about the business and the direction it’s heading.”