Work experience leads to high school weekly column

Times Junior Reporter

 

With only a half a block left to fill my remaining semester of high school, I was given a couple of choices regarding which 3 credit course I wanted to take. I was intrigued by the many courses my school had to offer, from photography in Communications Technology to artistic classes like jewellery making. Ultimately, I just wanted to take something I enjoyed. That’s when ideas of work experience came about and what I could do for this particular ‘module.’

Not really being a definitive class, work experience allows students to earn credits based on employer evaluations, hours worked and a completed CTR 1010 (which includes work like a resume, cover letter etcetera.) The more hours a student works, the more credits that student can earn. The credits are awarded in 3 credits, 62.5 hours and 5 credit, 125 hours amounts. It is most common for students to gain credits by doing work experience for teachers around the school, but many variations of work experience do take place. I’ve always wanted to pursue the idea of doing work experience for the newspaper because I know that journalism and communications is the direction I hope to take after graduation.  My thoughts going into work experience were, what better way to clarify my future aspirations then by surrounding myself with the working environment of a field I’m very much interested in? 

Expecting to only be an extra set of helping hands for the Strathmore Times, I was extremely surprised and overjoyed to be given the opportunity and space to write a weekly column, reporting on the current events which are happening at Strathmore High School. Being able to voice the school’s news is exciting, and seeing my name under my first published article was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Even though I’m acquiring only a few credits with work experience, it feels like I’m accomplishing a lot more. By doing work experience for the Strathmore Times, my mind has been given a strong feeling of reassurance. I feel more confident when it comes to choosing the direction I am going to take after high school.