An interesting first meeting

The first meeting of the 2008 "Chipsters" started off like an awkward middle school prom. Honestly. For the opening reception, we were to mix and mingle with the other Scholars and get to know each other. Immediately, all the guys huddled in one big group, and the girls formed two small clusters of conversation. Eventually, that nervous energy passed over us and we each made the rounds to greet all the Scholars. Sort of. Well, I do have three more days to meet them all...

Eddy Ramirez points to himself in his Chips Quinn Summer 2001 class photo.

At dinner, I had the pleasure of sitting with one of the night's guest speakers, Chips Quinn Alum Eddy Ramirez, who is the education reporter for U.S. News & World Report. It was a bit daunting at first to talk with him, for at 26 years old he's already accomplished so much in journalism. But Ramirez offered some really great advice and tips (spend time getting to know your editors and colleagues in the newsroom, it's OK to do follow-up calls when you forget to ask a source something important, and you might want to save the $50,000 you'd spend on a graduate degree in journalism for something else). It was also great to see someone so young already making an impact.

There is something everyone in the Chips Quinn program shares: We all are young, ambitious and optimistic that the work we do truly matters and will make a difference. I am looking forward to all the lessons the rest of orientation will bring and to getting to know a great group of individuals who share my passion for journalism.