Journalists are often portrayed as cutthroat, with only the most resourceful and cunning finding success. Many incoming cherubs said they assumed the Medill program would mirror the newsrooms and studios they’d seen in the movies or on TV.
“Everyone here is so smart and motivated that I expected it to be really competitive,” said Lizi Schierman of Tbilisi, Georgia. “I had imposter syndrome.”
However, Schierman said the reality of the Medill cherub program was much different than her initial beliefs.
“Everyone has been so helpful in sharing their knowledge and experiences,” she said. “The whole environment is much more collaborative than I expected.”
From the first day of the program, cherubs were faced with situations where information and names bombarded them. They said it was difficult to record every name and detail necessary to construct an accurate story. Rather than keeping facts to themselves, however, cherubs shared their knowledge.
“We’re all working together to try and make the best stories we can,” said Joshua Singer of Rockville, Maryland. “We’ve shared sources, we’ve shared quotes, and I feel very supported.”
This spirit of cooperation went beyond just sharing quotes and information. While cherubs constructed their trend story, some used their peers’ connections and networks.
“My trend story was about the economy of skiing, and a lot of my friends here had sources or people they knew on ski patrol,” said Nina Bowens of Westport, Connecticut. “It was very collaborative in that aspect because I was also giving sources to people.”
The cherub program does not award grades. Instructor Karen Springen, a full-time professor at Medill, said this aspect of the program fosters community and teamwork.
“It’s not a competitive thing,” Springen said. “I think it’s nice cherubs is not for a grade. That makes it super collaborative — uplifting and boosting each other.”
The Medill cherubs program allows students to engage with talented journalists from around the world. Rather than competing with each other, Bowens said they gained the most from working together.
“Everyone is pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves and to do their best work,” she said.
