Every year students between seventh and twelfth grade gather from across the state to study journalism at Michigan State University for the annual MIPA Summer Workshop Camp hosted at the college. Some students travel from a little farther than the state of Michigan. Four of these students sat down with us to discuss their journey to MIPA.
Lauren Batts:
Hometown: Leander, Texas
Workshop Class: Shoot Like a Pro
Batts’ yearbook teacher has connections across the country including MIPA’s very own Jeremy Steele. Through the recommendation from the teacher, Batts found her way to Michigan. Coming from the Texas heat, Batts is not bothered by the summer heat in Michigan. As co-editor of her high school yearbook, Batts has worked with numerous people who don’t share her passion for the team. Batts really enjoys working with the passionate journalism students of MIPA.
“I want to do sports photography in college, because I really enjoy taking photos of sports. Photography is kind of what makes me, me. It’s what makes me the happiest. I’d like to pursue that.”
Xaiver Martinez
Hometown: Oakdale, California
Workshop Class: Sports Broadcasting
Last year, Martinez attended a camp in Nebraska. Looking for another cool experience, Martinez sought out MIPA. Martinez has enjoyed getting to meet other students, touring the campus stadiums and learning from the instructor. He hopes to take his skills back to California to improve his work as videographer for his high school’s varsity sports teams. In the future, Martinez plans to major in journalism and minor in sports broadcasting. Martinez hopes to become a play-by-play announcer.
“Being able to come here and learn from possibly the best of the best out here in Michigan has been truly an honor for me. Being able to kind of just listen and just take all the info. I’d say just being able to take a class where it’s always very positive and a very open book to where we’re able to ask whatever we want, and get a very thorough answer about it.”
Axl Moonsammy-Gray
Hometown: Washington, DC
Workshop Class: Broadcast News
Moonsammy-Gray visits Michigan every summer to see family, however last summer he was in search of a way to make some more friends during his stay away from home which led him to MIPA. He is not interested in Journalism in his future, but hopes to bring his MIPA experience back to his High School. Being from a big city, the slower pace of MSU is one of Moonsammy-Gray’s favorite parts of MIPA.
“I wake up and it’s really nice, not a bunch of cars rolling around the city. And it’s fun to also just meet a bunch of new people who have a different view of the world, in my opinion.”
Amber Xu
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan / Beijing, China
Workshop Class: Beyond the Basics
Originally from Ann Arbor Michigan, Xu goes to school in Beijing China. Back in the state for a summer, Xu heard about MIPA through a friend and signed up, eager to try something new. As the manager of her school’s science journal, Xu hopes to bring her new skills to the club, especially for photos for the yearbook page. Above all, the MIPA community stands out to Xu.
“[I enjoy] the community and all the soft skills we’re building,” said Xu. “Where I live, and it’s not just journalism camps, but just summer camps in general, all the camps in China are very academic based. There’s a lot more lectures and a lot less like community.”