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By Iris Serrano
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm’18) and Jack Moody (StratComm’24)

Andrea Davis was already interested in the University of Colorado Boulder when she arrived on campus for J-Day last fall.��

The chance to explore both the campus and the fast-changing discipline of journalism made it easy for the high school senior to picture herself as a student here.��

A group of students tours the football stadium on J-Day.

Davis took a class in broadcast journalism at Grandview High School, which taught her more about the field and inspired her to attend J-Day—an annual celebration of high school journalism by the Colorado Student Media Association—at CMCI in October.

She has since committed to attend CU Boulder, where she plans to pursue a major in media studies.��

“I learned a lot from the sessions and speakers—like the different markets, and the preparation that is required,” Davis said. “There were also lessons about the intention behind every story that gets covered, and how you have to advertise and carry yourself.”

Triumphant return to Boulder

J-Day is a daylong conference and celebration of student media—not just newspapers, but yearbooks, magazines and other publications. When it came to campus in October, it was the first time J-Day had been held in Boulder in more than 20 years.

Organizers are now planning for J-Day’s return to Boulder this fall following a hugely successful showcase of the college and its journalism offerings—including a world-class alumni network and the award-winning student media organizations last year. Shelby Javernick, director of student recruitment and outreach at CMCI, is among those leading the charge.

“J-Day is such an exciting event for students who don’t see either college or CU Boulder as an option to understand that CMCI is this very welcoming space,” she said. “I think one of the things I most enjoyed seeing was students connecting with our faculty, and understanding there are so many opportunities for mentorship here.��

“And I’m excited for the students who are coming back next year, who will get to build connections with their team and bring back their knowledge and community to their schools.”��

At last year’s event, students heard directly from industry and academic experts who discussed topics like social media, generative artificial intelligence and career readiness. Some of the most popular sessions included a panel featuring representatives of CU Boulder student media organizations, a career prep session with 9News personalities, and multiple talks about sports journalism. Hundreds of students also attended tours of the campus, CMCI studios and academic spaces, and the campus’ sports media operations.��

‘Continuously blown away’

One popular session at J-Day featured sophomore Leopold Riviera IV, an aspiring sports journalist, interviewing��Robert Barba (Jour’04), an editor on the��Wall Street Journal’s U.S. news team and a member of CMCI’s advisory board.����

Barba seemed as impressed with his interviewer as he did the dozens of students who turned out to hear him talk about his career path and the evolving field of journalism.

“I’m continuously blown away by people who are younger, smarter and more articulate than I was at that age,” Barba said. “It’s affirming to connect with younger people who are excited about news. The industry is going to look a lot different for them than it did for me at their age.”��

Barba, who grew up in the Denver metro area and attended CU Boulder as a first-generation student, had instant rapport with the students.��

“The fact that he was in their shoes at one point allows them to connect more,” said Rivera, also a first-generation student. “I think when you have a sense of connection, you’re more drawn to attend CU or any other university.”

Despite being only a few years older than the attendees, Rivera was amazed at the students’ drive and passion for journalism. Hearing from someone like Barba and others will encourage them to pursue their goals

“I never had connections to other journalists until I got to college,” Rivera said. “I think if I was at J-Day, it would have given me more reassurance.”

Faculty also led workshops for the students, which touched on everything from social media to documentaries. In a sociology and sports journalism session led by Ever Figueroa, an assistant professor of journalism, students practiced pitching stories related to sports and developing them into actual pieces.��

NBC News anchor Savannah Sellers speaks to students.

He said he was surprised at the students’ enthusiasm—many showed up early, sat in the front rows and were excited to participate.��

“J-Day is a great opportunity to preview the college environment,” Figueroa said. “�鶹��Ժ were afforded an opportunity to use their own self-interests as the basis for a news story and learn about how to succeed in the business.”��

Among the alumni who students heard from was��Savannah Sellers (Jour’13), anchor for NBC News’��Morning News Now,��who gave the keynote address from the network’s New York headquarters. Many may have recognized her from��Stay Tuned, NBC’s Snapchat news show for younger audiences.��

“Exploring journalism as a career opportunity can lead you to so many fantastic things in your life, and incredible opportunities,” she told the audience. “It is a fun, rewarding, fulfilling path that is only getting more interesting, no matter if it’s changing. Also, I will say that CU Boulder was a fabulous place to study it.”

That certainly rang true for students like Davis.��

“Having the opportunity to be on campus was eye-opening, in the sense that I got to imagine what it could be like if I attended,” she said.