Reece Harnett
High Point University, NC
Student journalist &
chair of philanthropy
I'm a sophomore at High Point University and my dad is a PEZ collector. He has everything from trucks, to posters, to all fifty presidents - in order as he will tell you. He's taken over two rooms in our house and to be honest, I'm pretty scared my room is next. But this isn't about my dad. It's about me. And while I may not have the love and passion for PEZ that my dad does, I think you'll find that the things that I do put my love and passion into are just as important, or if you're like my dad, almost as important as PEZ.
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Throughout my four years in high school I was a reporter for our school's Emmy award winning TV show, Buzz. Aside from being one of the most fun things I've ever done, the show allowed me to grow as both a journalist as well as a person. I traveled across the Carolinas hosting a series called Reece's Road Trips where I was able to meet people from all different walks of life and help tell their stories.
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I reported on sexual abuse awareness events, a struggling local bison ranch, and everything in between. As I learned the basic skills of broadcast journalism I also learned how to respectfully and meaningfully communicate with any type of person. I found that by telling these stories I was able to shine light on problems around my community that would otherwise be swept under the rug. This drive to continue the amazing art of storytelling brought me to High Point University where I'm the primary anchor of our student run TV show called All Access News.
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Through this I've been exposed to many more issues, and just since being in college I've widened my perspective on how much the world really needs good, truthful journalism. My passion for helping others led me to become the Vice President of Philanthropy for my fraternity Beta Theta Pi. Over these last three months I was able to raise over $3,000 for the High Point YMCA as well as the local elementary school. My hope for the future is that I will continue helping others in any way that I can whether I'm reporting on an issues, volunteering my time, or even gathering donations for an organization. I strive to make a difference everyday, and I don't think that will ever change.