School Pride Scholarship 2012

Alternative Spring Break Detroit has contributed to my becoming a better journalist.  After spending six days participating and being educated on hunger and homelessness, arts and culture, education, and crime and blight,  it has helped me to become more unbiased in my reporting.  As a journalist, I sometimes find it difficult to accurately report on people or events that I've had limited exposure too.  ASBD gave me a chance to have exposure to a vast number of people and events in a short period of time.  In reporting, we call this immersion journalism, and it assist journalist in reporting stories as truthfully and honestly as possible.
I have not seen another program like ASBD at any other college or university.  I enjoyed it so much, that I participated in it for two years in a row.  ASBD has helped me to become more comfortable with people of different ethnicities, religions and viewpoints.  55-60 of us slept in St. John's Church - in the heart of Detroit - for six days.  The program also incorporated different cultures of food that added to the diversity of our experience.  We ate middle eastern, Thai, Mexican as well as American food.
One of the best parts of ASBD was sharing our reflections at the end of everyday.  Many of us had different perceptions about Detroit before coming into the program and many of them were either reinforced or changed by the end of it.  It was great, as a journalist, to gather information on how the program helped to make students more well-rounded, open-minded and empathetic.  I was advised by a newspaper editor to keep a daily journal of my ASBD experiences.  It worked out well because I was able to incorporate them into this blog along with pictures and video.  ASBD has been the best all-around experience that I've had as a college student and I would recommend it to any one who has the chance to participate in it.
This <a href="http://www.centurylinkquote.com/scholarship">scholarship</a> is sponsored by <a href="http://www.centurylinkquote.com/">CenturyLinkQuote.com</a>.