Some of the most curious and creative students are those who choose to pursue majors centering on media or journalism. These majors utilize a wide variety of skills and can be the perfect path for people who want to stay engaged in and passionate about the world around them.

“I think I’ve always loved writing, but when people think of careers in writing they think of English professors or something along those lines. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to write, be involved in my community and give voices to those that aren’t heard all the time,” Emma Malinak said. 

Malinak graduated from Trinity in 2021 and now attends Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. She first found her love for writing through “The Hiller” newspaper during her junior and senior years of high school. That love carried over into college and she is now an active member of her school’s journalism program, where she enjoys making connections and exploring the liberal arts.

One of Malinak’s biggest pieces of advice is for high school students. She asks them to really consider what they’re looking for in a journalism program because studying journalism can look different depending on where one goes to school. Some universities have separate journalism schools, with completely separate applications, while others offer a program or major that works into the school as a whole. This can be true for most majors that fall under the larger, umbrella term of media and communications. 

There are so many places and ideas to explore in the world of mass communications, so students should be sure to consider what they want before deciding on a career path. 

THS 2022 graduate and current Point Park University student Savannah Ikach also gave her advice: “I would suggest consuming as much media as possible. Read articles from multiple sources or watch different news outlets, to build one’s media literacy. Keeping updated with current events and familiarizing yourself with different media outlets can be so beneficial to learning how to write a story. I also would suggest just creating. Write and brainstorm as much as you can. The more you get your brain working, the more creativity you have to bring to the table.”

Ikach is currently focusing on broadcasting and media in college. She saw this path as a way to further utilize skills that she already possessed. 

While in high school, Ikach performed in the school musicals and always enjoyed talking to different people. These facts, combined with the versatility and wide range of jobs that her major offers, made media a perfect path for Ikach. 

Currently, she is part of the executive board of her campus radio station, WPPJ, and even broadcasts her own radio show. While preparing for the show, Ikach is sure to fact check and weed out bad information for her all sources. She also has good writing skills and an understanding of grammar, which can be key in the media field. 

“You definitely have to be organized when working in the media field. Some things pop up that are unplanned. Expect anything and be creative, but logical at the same time. To be good at this, you have to know how to execute ideas well,” Senior Emily Wickham stated. 

Wickham plans on attending Pitt and double majoring in Film and Media studies and Marketing. She has always enjoyed the media and is excited to work in television. One day, Wickham hopes to be able to bring people together with her work as well. 

During the course of her high school career, Wickham became involved in both the yearbook and several business and marketing classes. These classes helped prepare her for college and gave her good skills that she can utilize in the future. 

However, Wickham mentioned that she wished she could have had more media-centered classes offered to her while at Trinity. 

Malinak, Wickham and Ikach all agree that getting involved early and often in media-related activities is a good idea. Getting hands-on practice can help give students new and different perspectives and experiences. Becoming involved with news organizations, interviews, writing or internships can give valuable, real world experience in different job areas. 

Overall, students need to be excited about their careers – and media and journalism are certainly some of the most exciting majors out there! Good luck THS!