| CULLMAN SCHOLARSHIP |
An Immersion in Journalism E
mma ’21 immersed herself in campus life from day one at KUA. A natural-born leader, she is active in the yearbook, newspaper, Farm Team, Theater Activity, Selects, the Queer-Straight Alliance, and the Writing Center, as well as head of the Honor Board. A day student, McGonigle received a Cullman Scholarship and completed The New York Times Summer Academy. Why did you choose a program with The New York Times?
I had enjoyed consuming media and had a passion for freedom of speech. I’ve always been politically and socially active. Honing in on my skills felt important. I won an award in eighth grade for an article on mental illness, so I guess I’ve taken some baby steps toward being a journalist. Before this program I thought about going to medical school to be a psychologist. I think that’s changed. Were you able to connect with teachers and classmates?
I had to attend the program virtually at home in Vermont. Our teachers were all over the country and our classmates were spread around the world. All of these incredible people had good stories to tell themselves. We were able to form these bonds because we had similar goals and aspirations. There was a willingness to discuss and a mutual respect. What type of courses did you take?
I got into the foreign correspondence program, which was my dream program. We learned about the technical process of reporting, ethics, and how to be a good storyteller. We got to meet a lot of incredible people. I did a live interview with someone in the Harsham Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Iraq. He’s a computer science major, and I got to hear his story and his perspective on the world. It took him two hours each way to go to school. It’s like we are living on two different planets. His story was heartbreaking and inspiring. That was my favorite experience of the course. Any key takeaways from the program?
I did a photojournalism project with Tara TodrasWhitehall. I’m more of a notebook-and-pencil type of gal, which was good because you write about what you know to get started. I wrote about life on a mountain farm in Vermont. My homework was to sit and observe—dripping water, cat meows—just observe and be a part of it. It made me observe the beauty of my life. K 26
| H I L LT O P M A G A Z I N E |
KUA Activities: Yearbook, Newspaper, Farm Team Theater Activity, QueerStraight Alliance Writing Center Head of the Honor Board 2020 Cullman Scholar Valedictorian
