When I first applied to be the Michigan representative for the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference run by Freedom Forum, I was enticed by the idea of networking with professional journalists, touring newsrooms and exploring Washington, D.C. Plus, the $1,000 scholarship didn’t hurt.

What I didn’t expect to take away above all else, though, was 50 friendships with students like me: high school journalists, future reporters, Free Spirits.

From the moment I first arrived, I was forging connections that I already know will evolve into lifelong friendships. Over the course of six days, I had the opportunity to talk to dozens of students who shared my same love for journalism yet came from every corner of our country. From engaging in in-depth conversations about how educational requirements differ across states to filming TikToks in front of the Washington Monument, I found myself — a self-described introvert — laughing and connecting with students who lived 2,000 miles away from me. It was only a matter of time before I started using the word “family” to refer to my new peers.

While the bonds I created will always remain a core memory of the conference, we were also given incomparable opportunities to engage with the journalism industry. We attended panels on everything from understanding our First Amendment rights to navigating an ever evolving and increasingly technological news field. We talked to professional journalists and news figures, such as Joie Chen and Aaron Parnas, as well as reporters fresh out of college, like the University of Florida’s award-winning Independent Florida Alligator staff. We toured newsrooms like USA TODAY and The Wall Street Journal, where we also had the opportunity to engage in discussions with their reporters. We heard from and connected with Free Spirit alumni in multiple panels and over dinner. We even had the opportunity to attend the Free Expression Awards, a ceremony where we were exposed to networking opportunities that very few high school journalists get to experience.

On top of this, thanks to Close Up Foundation, we also got to explore our country’s history by touring Capitol Hill and the various monuments that commemorate America’s founding figures and veterans. As we explored key sites like the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the congressional offices, we continued to discuss how our First Amendment rights extend beyond just journalism and common interpretations of free speech.

Between our jam-packed days of panels and tours, we still made time for trivia, bus karaoke and a boat cruise on the Potomac River. As we said our goodbyes the night before we left — many of us crying and exchanging hugs — I found myself reconsidering the purpose of the program altogether. When I first applied, a part of me brushed off the phrase “Dream. Dare. Do.” Even as I read about the legacy of Al Neuharth, founder of USA TODAY and the one who inspired this conference, I struggled to fully connect with the words. I had never really considered myself a risk-taker or an innovator the way Al was. I certainly struggled to identify as a “free spirit.”

When I got to the conference, though, I began to rethink my definition. We were all free spirits, I realized. Simply being there and embracing a field that is commonly described as “dying” made us dreamers and darers, and even as high schoolers, we were already doers. Many of us were editors in chief of our school newspapers or yearbooks, where we were leaders who had to face obstacles without the resources professional newsrooms have to combat them. Many of us had faced press censorship or criticism by people in power. Many of us had voiced unpopular opinions or stood up for those who didn’t have a voice.

We were already defying stereotypes surrounding journalism and making an impact — it was just this program that recognized it. “Dream. Dare. Do.” is more than an obscure mantra to aspire to sometime far into the future; it is a motto to live by, and a motto that many high school journalists — including all 51 of us at the 2025 conference — already live by. I can only hope that high school journalists don’t shy away from applying for this program in the future. After all, the first steps of doing something are dreaming and daring.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the annual conference, established to honor Al Neuharth, founder of Freedom Forum and USA TODAY, is designed to inspire and encourage high school juniors to pursue careers in journalism, multimedia storytelling and the media industry.