This past summer, one of The Independent’s Editors-in-Chief, Sana Muneer, attended the Boston University Summer Journalism Academy hosted by Boston University. This three week program is available to incoming high school juniors and seniors with journalism experience. 

When asked how Muneer decided on this program in particular, she said, “I believed it would greatly improve my journalistic skills and give me hands-on experience with reporting in a big city for an esteemed publication.” 

During her program, Muneer took various classes on media ethics, general journalism and writing tips. Muneer believes that this program allowed her to create change with her writing. 

Participants in the program split their time between classroom education, newsroom experiences and listening to guest speakers. 

As a part of the classroom portion, Muneer was instructed by Jan Brogan, a journalist and author. During her daily classes, Muneer was assigned university-level readings and journalism assignments. 

The newsroom aspect of Muneer’s trip consisted of hands-on journalism assignments. Muneer stated, “Students were divided into small reporter teams and went around campus or in the city of Boston to conduct interviews and gather information.” 

The pinnacle of the program was the guest speakers. Muneer heard from a variety of speakers that covered topics ranging from radio reporting to media law. The program also visited WBUR, a public radio, which inspired Muneer to become an anchor for Glenbard South’s Announcements her senior year. 

As a result of the Boston University Summer Journalism Academy, Muneer said, “I made lifelong friends and had an incredible experience.” 

Applications for this summer’s program at Boston University are due by April 14, 2023 and can be found at this link.