High School Media Day Inspires Students to Pursue Careers in the Industry Thursday, October 27, 2022
More than 160 prospective students explored the fields of media, marketing and communication at Point Park University's annual High School Media Day Oct. 21.
"It was so nice to be on a college campus and make new friends from other high schools who share similar interests," said Bri Folino from Brentwood High School.
The daylong event featured interactive, career-focused workshops led by faculty and students from the School of Communication and Rowland School of Business, as well as professionals in the industry, including:
- Student-run media workshops with U-View, WPPJ, The Globe and Pioneer Records.
- Marketing Media: How Marketing and Media Work Together — Assistant Professor Jenna Lo Castro, Kristin Wishon, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and Oyster Creative Co.'s Sarah Schreck and Kylie McCracken.
- Lifting Up Diverse Voices — Tené Croom and Sheila Beasley, Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.
- The World of TV Production — Taylor Spirito '21, WPXI, and Willy James, WQED.
- Freelance Writing — Matt Petras '18, freelance journalist, and Virginia Linn, Pittsburgh Magazine.
- Radio & Podcasting — Megan Harris, City Cast Pittsburgh, John Chamberlain, Ya Jagoff Media, and Erika McCue, iHeartMedia.
- Media Newbies — Lacey Muto '24, SAEM major, Vicie Simpson '21, Brunner, and Sam Francis '22, Steel City Media.
- Keynote Speaker — Justin LaBar '09, general manager, High School Sports Network, Trib Total Media.
Media Day Impacts Students and Teachers
Megan Lukitsch, a student at Eden Christian Academy, is pursuing a B.A. in sports communication at Point Park next fall.
"I had the chance to talk with The Globe editors about writing a column about the Pittsburgh Penguins next year," said Lukitsch. "I chose Point Park because of the incredible connections with the Penguins and so many hands-on opportunities. Also, a talk with Dean Bernie Ankney really solidified my decision."
Student Jake Santora was eager to head back to Knoch High School to share what he learned with his classmates.
"I am an anchor on our school's news team and a video editor for our newspaper, so I will definitely incorporate what I learned today into those organizations," Santora said. "I'm looking forward to a career in these fields, so it was incredibly interesting to learn how everything works."
"I really enjoyed the wide variety of session topics to choose from at High School Media Day," said Libby Coles from Riverview High School. "Each session provided me with valuable information related to the communications industry."
Added Patsy Kvortek, a teacher at Riverview: "Attending media days at Point Park are vital for high school students to explore career opportunities."
Upcoming High School Programs
Join us for Spring High School Media Day March 24, 2023. Or, our Summer High School Journalism Workshop at our Downtown Pittsburgh campus.