If you pull aside the students at MIPA journalism camp, you would find that not all of them are on the obvious career path you would expect.
Many students found here are not aspiring journalists, but aspiring political scientists, veterinarians, and even chemical engineers. Shocking, right?
But when you look into it, it’s really not such a surprising revelation. Breaking down to the basics, being a political scientist, veterinarian, and chemical engineer are really just journalism in disguise.
Hamna Hasan, a fifteen year old junior from Lake Orion High School, is looking to be a political scientist when she gets older. Hasan said she came to MIPA hoping to gain more experience in journalism. But without even realizing it, she was actually helping further a very different career.
Political science is the study of governments, public policies and political processes, but journalism is a creative outlet used to tell a story. While on the outside they may seem completely unrelated, they both share many similar elements, such as gathering information and documenting important events concerning politics. While political scientist only focus on government issues, journalists have the ability to cover broader topics.
“They have a lot to do with each other,” explained Hasan. “They both have to record political events that are vital to political science.”
Like Hasan, sophomore Danielle Kullmann, from Rochester High School, hoped to follow a career outside of journalism. Kullmann wants to be a veterinarian when she is older.
“(Journalism) helps me understand and comprehend what I’m reading when I’m learning new things,” said Kullmann.
Last but not least, there is the chemical engineer. Chemical engineering may reside in a different subject category, science, but it still must possess the same qualities as journalism; critical thinking skills, design, and passion for work.
“Well, I thought I wanted to be a biologist,” said Teagan Dillon, a junior from Mercy High School, “but then I took biology freshman year and I didn’t really like it at all. So this year I got (chemistry), and I really like chemistry.”
No matter what career one decides to follow, journalism will always be there. Whether it’s a political scientist, veterinarian or chemical engineer, journalism is a key technique used to gather information and make that information available to the public. Even when not a journalist, journalism is in everything we do, whether we realize it or not.
What kind of career are other prospective journalists interested in? Take a look at our survey which answers that question.
AMBER LEE CARNAHAN & OLIVIA PORATH / REPORTERS
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