By Maria Ignas (BA 25)
During the political polarization of 2020, it seemed to Anna Kezar that the news media couldn鈥檛 care less about honest journalism. But, she wondered, what if that could change?
鈥淭his is the status quo of journalism,鈥� said Kezar. 鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛 have to be like this. We can鈥檛 go back, and we can鈥檛 stay where we are. We have to adapt and move forward.鈥�
After taking a high school journalism class, she realized she might be cut out to do just that, for her curiosity and talent for writing lent themselves perfectly to the field.
So when looking for a school, the Maine native searched for a small Christian college with a solid journalism program. A tour to Grace, and she and her family knew: It was where she belonged, no matter the 952-mile distance. She deposited, and it wasn鈥檛 long before she had scoured every blog on Grace鈥檚 website.
Kezar entered Grace as a journalism major in 2022. While she enjoyed courses such as Introduction to Journalism, the work overwhelmed her at first. Kezar had expected the class to challenge her, but she hadn鈥檛 anticipated how foreign the concepts would be. She recalls processing with a friend over lunch after each class.
鈥淲e鈥檇 sit there and question what we were doing with our lives,鈥� said Kezar, laughing. 鈥淎nd we鈥檇 both arrive at the conclusion that this is where God wanted us. It was very formative for me to realize that yes, this is hard, but it鈥檚 so worth it to do it well.鈥�
At Grace, Kezar found abundant opportunities to hone her craft outside of the classroom too. She wrote for the school newspaper her first year, and thanks to a referral from one of the newspaper鈥檚 editors, she landed a writing internship with Grace鈥檚 marketing department her second.
One of Kezar鈥檚 duties as an intern? Writing the blogs and press releases that had cultivated her love for Grace as an incoming freshman. Another responsibility sharpened her vision of the future. Through freelance writing for a publication in Fort Wayne, she discovered her calling in solutions journalism.
鈥淪olutions journalism looks at the problems we face in the world, and it asks, 鈥楬ow can those be solved?鈥欌€� said Kezar. 鈥溾€榃hat is being done right now? Does it work or not? Where are the opportunities to help?鈥欌€�
Kezar realized there was so much more to journalism than pointing out a problem; through her reporting, she could become part of the solution.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to get factual information that is balanced, relevant, and challenges people to engage with the world rather than run away,鈥� said Kezar. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 important for Christians especially. We鈥檙e called to be a light in the world, to reach into the margins of humanity with the Gospel.鈥�
Kezar became that very light this past summer in Budapest, Hungary, for her most recent journalism internship with , which equips missionaries and missions work around the globe. She was trained in print communication, videography, and photography. Kezar plans to return to Hungary for a semester abroad in her final year of college.
Whether writing through a blog article, a newspaper profile, or a promotional video, and whether in the Northeast, Midwest, or another country entirely, Kezar knows that journalism is about more than just telling a story 鈥� it鈥檚 about telling God鈥檚 story, and telling it well.
鈥淓very single story and person I interview strengthens my faith and gives me perspective,鈥� she said.
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