Renne at The Philadelphia Student Press Association Summit

On April 24th to the 25th, the Philadelphia Student Press Association (PSPA) Journalism Summit was held at the WHYY building in downtown Philadelphia. Renee was the keynote speaker for the two-day event! 

The summit brought together student journalists from all over the city to gather with the keen interest to learn from people already established in the journalism world. Students from Rowan, Haverford, Temple, Renee’s very own La Salle, and many other schools were there connecting with and learning from the best. 

The title of Renee’s panel was ‘On The Ground: Covering Big Moments Before You’re Ready’. Jackson Juzang, the founder of the PSPA, and Clair Harquet, the upcoming director, were the moderators of the panel. Coming straight from the NFL Draft, Renee was ready to help everyone learn a thing or two. As the questions came and Renee answered, everyone listened intently! 

If you take anything from what Renee had to say, here are some key factors: 

• Preparation, no matter how big or little, is a major factor in this line of work. It can make or break you at any moment. 

• You can’t be waiting around while in a role within the industry. There’s no one way to do something, so go do it anyway 

• Adapt to the situation and realize it’s not that big of a deal—you learn that you’re only human.

• Create your own little village—making a connection and starting a conversation comes a long way. It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know. 

• Being authentic is another defining factor because the audience knows you're being yourself and not a robot. 

• Never let anybody question the hard work you put into your day to day!

Renee sparked a fire in the minds of the student with her first-hand experiences and her words of wisdom. The energetic tone of her voice and her personable perspective made it easy for everyone out in the audience to follow along. Her message was clear and influential, and everyone knew it.