Troy University’s Hall School of Journalism and Communication held its annual J-Day on Tuesday, October 7, hosting 200 high school students from eight high schools across Alabama.

Students attended workshops covering broadcast journalism, multimedia journalism, yearbook production and journalism fundamentals, including photography and preparing for college media programs.

Haley Hust, a senior from Saint James School in Montgomery, saw J-Day as an opportunity to learn more about the field that she wants to work in. During the first workshop session, she sat at the anchor desk on the TrojanVision set and got to read from the teleprompter. 

“I was really nervous at first, but as soon as I started getting into it, it really started to flow,” she shared. “I really want to do that when I get older.”

WSFA 12 News reporters, Simon Schuessler and Emma Ellis, are TrojanVision alums and led a workshop on the topic of being new journalists. 

“It was a blessing for me to come through the program, and I use the skills I learned in college every day,” said Schuessler. “While I cannot overstate the importance of TROY in my life, what is even more important is continuing our tradition of producing successful journalists—and that’s why I decided to speak at J-Day and give back my knowledge to students at my alma mater, whether they’re in college or high school.”

“It’s always an honor to come back to speak at my alma mater,” said Ellis. “J-Day is an amazing opportunity for high school students to be able to speak to industry professionals as they decide what path to pursue. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to share our experiences at the school that built me into the journalist I am.”

J-Day is held annually each fall and is provided in part by a grant awarded by the Alabama Press Association Foundation. 

The full photo gallery for J-Day can be found here.