Journalism Student Testimonies

		February 08, 2011 Alum Wins Surfer Essay Contest Chris Beach (Journalism, '10) will soon be taking an all-expenses-paid surfing trip with a group of pros, courtesy of Surfer magazine. Out of over more than 300 entries, his tightly-written and colorful essay describing a chance encounter in Costa Rica caught the "collective eye" of the judges, as the panel explained on their website. Beach is currently working as the full-time producer for Bill Bennett’s daily radio show, “Morning in America.” Read more.
		October 13, 2010 Bridget Degnan: Christian and Reporter in the Big Apple This summer Bridget Degnan (Journalism) worked 50 hours a week as a full-time reporter at The Riverhead News-Review in Mattituck, New York, earning four internship credits while also reporting for other papers in the Times-Review publishing chain: the North Shore Sun and the Suffolk Times.The pace proved frenetic and the writing and reporting intense, but according to Degnan the pay-off was that “ten thousand people were reading my stuff.”  Read more.
		November 19, 2010 Alumnus Reports for his "Patch" of the Woods Nathan Curby is the new local editor for the Dale City Patch news website, a sub-division of AOL in mid-western Virginia. Curby spends the majority of his time monitoring freelance writers, editing stories, and maintaining the website, while also reporting on and writing his own stories. Read more.
		Abigail Pilgrim ('06) - Written August 2008 To track down PHC alumna Abigail Pilgrim (Journalism, '06) for an interview, you have to catch her between rock-climbing trips to West Virginia and her crazy, globetrotting job as an Associate Producer for National Geographic Television. Pilgrim is seizing every moment to learn about God, the world, and life.  |  Read more.

"Four years ago, I had no idea I would be graduating with a degree in journalism. I came to Patrick Henry College because I wanted a biblically-based education, although I found the rigorous courses demanded much more of me than I expected. By the end of my sophomore year, I had learned to love writing, and so I decided to switch my degree from Government to Journalism. I began freelancing for the local newspaper even before I began my journalism program. Now, with the guidance and encouragement of Dr. Sillars, the college’s apprenticeship-style courses, and the challenging classroom environment, I am confident in my future plans."

- Rebekah Pizana, class of '08

 "The reason I am majoring in journalism at PHC is the exceptional slate of classes, which has provided a unique lens for understanding the world. The Classical Liberal Arts track newly added to the Journalism major at PHC allows me to continue building on the foundation of the core, and helps to make sure that when I start writing I can digest what’s happening around me and accurately reflect it to my readers.

Also, I’ve been told by professors and teachers throughout my life, "You can’t teach journalism, you have to practice it." At Patrick Henry College, I’ve been equipped in the classroom to uniquely understand the techniques, history and conventions of a profession which is vital to the continuance of a free society.  Further, from my very first year at PHC, I’ve been utilizing the principles learned in class."

- Nathan Martin, class of '08