STATE COLLEGE — For most high school students, summer break means sun, sleep and maybe a part-time job. But for State College Area High School senior Nate Tranell, it meant something more. It meant a chance to explore his passion for storytelling alongside some of the most promising young journalists in the country.
Tranell was selected as a National Youth Correspondent for the 2025 Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC), held Monday, July 7, through Sunday, July 12, at George Mason University. The competitive program brings together top high school students from across the nation for a week of immersive journalism experiences, mentorship from media professionals, and hands-on training in ethics, reporting and media strategy.
“It was exhilarating,” Tranell said. “I’ve always loved writing because I’ve always loved reading and reading doesn’t just mean reading a novel, which I love to read novels and non-fiction books, but I like to read the newspaper and articles online.”
Tranell said his interest in journalism deepened during 10th grade at State High, where English class discussions on media literacy and censorship sparked a desire to investigate the world through storytelling. By 11th grade, he enrolled in his first journalism course and began writing for the school’s student-run publication.
“I got right into the writing process,” Tranell said. “I wrote an article on our assistant principal, Mrs. Hick, an article about the ID program getting shut down, an article about films and the big films coming out in 2025 and an article about Jimmy Carter.”
Tranell credited his teachers with mentoring him through his early journalism efforts. He also cited his aunt, a journalist for “Scholastic” in New York City, as a key influence.
The WJMC experience itself was packed with highlights. Tranell said hearing from guest speakers such as National Journal’s Senate correspondent Savannah Behrmann helped crystallize the possibilities of a media career.
“They all talk a lot about having confidence and putting yourself out there,” Tranell said. “Which is something I feel is important.”
Tranell also enjoyed the networking aspect of the program, making friends with fellow aspiring storytellers from nearly every state.
“Some wanted to be novelists, some film critics, some PR specialists,” he said. “It’s kind of interesting to know that there are so many people who have a similar tendency towards writing that I do and love words and storytelling and narrative as much as I do.”
In addition to attending lectures and panel discussions, students took tours of Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. For Tranell, a lifelong political enthusiast who once memorized all the U.S. presidents by age six, the trip offered a humbling reminder of the human stories behind American government.
“It was so humbling,” he said. “I feel like we villainize a lot of our representatives and treat them, at least within conversation with each other, as less than human.”
Tranell said the conference also helped clarify his future goals, though he’s still deciding exactly which path to take. In addition to writing, he’s passionate about filmmaking and video journalism. Earlier this year, he wrote and directed a 20-minute short film, “The Sleepers Watch,” which won Best Picture at State High’s inaugural SC Oscars Film Festival.
