Student Ambassador Showcase: Kirsten Jolly

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As we enter Journalism Education Association’s annual celebration of Scholastic Journalism Week (Feb. 23–27), GSPA is proud to highlight the amazing work of one of our GSPA Ambassadors, Kirsten Jolly a Junior at New Manchester High School, Douglasville, GA.

Scholastic Journalism Week is a time to celebrate the impact of student journalism and the educators who support it.

Hello! My name is Kirsten Jolly, and I am a junior at New Manchester High School. I am the Editor-In-Chief of our school's newsmagazine, The Jaguar Journal, and president of our Social Media Club. With the Jaguar Journal, I strive to diversify the consumption of digital media in my school, in collaboration with the creation of social media content. I hope to include more literature-based content, designed specifically with its audience in mind. I enjoy doing things such as graphic design, writing, and drawing in my free time, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else!

I selected these pieces because I feel they serve as a direct testament to the realities of the contemporary world. They touch on topics such as racism, cyberbullying, technological dependence, identity based on nationality and independence, hive mentality, among other things. As a rising journalist, I have realized that your words have much more power than you may believe, and the courage to put yourself out there and use that power is your duty, especially in a time like this. 

Read Kirsten’s selected published pieces in the Jaguar Journal first and second issues:

Being a GSPA Ambassador has significantly improved my confidence as a writer, speaker, and leader. Participating in things such as the Editor's Roundtable at GSPA's Fall Conference and being able to attest to the journalistic experience has enthused my joy for creating and innovating in the journalistic space. This joy is something I feel I could only sustain as an ambassador, as I frequently get to collaborate with like-minded peers in a hands-on environment. 

When I write (or create), specifically for publication, I strive to do it consistently with the reader in mind. Will they understand, or relate, will they care, will they know what it is that I'm writing, or creating about? I aim for the answer to be yes, and if it is, I then ask myself, 'How can I appeal to my audience, while also informing them of the intricacies of the modern world?' Most times, I find that I learn just as much as I sought to inform, and that excites me; I find that my impact is not confined or fixed, and that my voice has the power to inspire others to learn just as much as they strive to inform. With my work, I hope to give readers a voice to shout, a space to create, and room to grow to new heights, so that they are unafraid to strive for greatness.