I Could Not Be More Proud

By Onelia Hawa
YMP Program Assistant

​So, we’re three weeks into the Mississippi Youth Media Project, and I remember looking at the wide-open startup loft space the night before YMP’s first day thinking, “what are we doing?” As a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed start-up newbie, I can still say the “honeymoon” phase hasn’t worn off, and the city view definitely is only a piece of the pie to blame. Like any new program, event or class, attendance takes a sharp turn typically after the first week. The ones who end up sticking through the first seven days are those who end up finding a genuine interest and commitment with whatever it is you have to offer. These are the students changing Jackson and bettering our futures.
 
I assigned students the task of calling nonprofit organizations as sources for their solutions-oriented journalism stories the first week. The deadpan look on nearly every student’s face was something I should have captured, but shortly afterward, each student moved to his or her designated workspace and researched local organizations. Most students were not initially excited and drifted their gaze to the Standard Life building and city skyline through the windows lining the newsroom. Others became frustrated and were unaware of why both the exercise and nonprofits were important to begin with.

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Let’s get something straight; I am not a teacher by trade, a journalist-in-the-making in fact, but solutions-oriented journalism simply boils down to finding solutions to existing problems. Hence the name. I explained how nonprofits are essentially completely underrated and underappreciated, but also how these same organizations are key to developing the communities they aim to serve. Whether these organizations aim to feed their communities, reduce crime, provide educational opportunities or even help those in need find resources, nonprofits are key to understanding the communities we are so quick to label and judge.
 
Slowly but surely, like any new office staff member, students began narrowing their search down and eventually made their first nerve-wracking call to “real-world” organizations. I remember two students came back beaming with a smile after hiding in office corners avoiding having anyone hear them stutter or see them blush while making their first call. Then it struck me. We’re all here to learn, but even better to make a difference collectively.
 
To end this on an even better note, although YMP students are “students,” it is so abundantly clear these high-school-age over-achievers are more than their title. These young adults are embarking into their newly found niches and evolving as youth do. I could not be more proud of the Mississippi Youth Media Project—unless our students win a Pulitzer, then maybe.