Grad School Capstone: Charleston, S.C.

After my graduation in May, my arts journalism master’s program wasn’t quite done yet. We had one last adventure before we went our separate ways after spending one intense year together. So, after the big hoorah of graduation and then spending a few days at home with my family, I packed my bags for Charleston, S.C. I’ve been to a few southern states before (Florida, Texas, and Missouri), but this was my first time in South Carolina. I drove with my friends Chase and Christian on the way down. It was a 13 hour trip, which obviously sucked, but I had good company and it was much cheaper than flying. When we arrived to the city, it was time to prove ourselves as real reporters.

My nine colleagues and I were their to cover the Spoleto Festival USA (an international arts festival) and Piccolo Spoleto (a local based arts festival that coincides with the former) for the local newspaper, The Post and Courier. This newspaper is not just some small town rinky dink paper either, it actually won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and it’s sales are still increasing at a time when we all know print newspapers aren’t exactly as lucrative as they once were.  So, needless to say, the pressure was on for us to pitch good stories, conduct good interviews, and write good articles.

During the three weeks we spent there, it definitely wasn’t nonstop work though. Me and my friends had a great time! We shopped, ate A LOT of great food, went on a ghost tour, went to the beach, and had a really amazing time together. I couldn’t have pictured a better way to end my master’s program! I will miss my friends and professors so much (I already do!) but I know that they will all continue to do amazing things.

By the end of the trip, I had about 13 articles and reviews published in print and online. I interviewed a lot interesting people and I saw so much art! From theater, to music, to puppets, I was exposed to so many things and ideas that were completely new to me. It was truly inspiring. The atmosphere of Charleston is so happy and creative, I would love to go back some day!

Above you can view a video recap of my trip and you can also scroll through my photo gallery below. If you plan on taking a trip to Charleston anytime soon then make sure you also check out this travel guide I wrote for NYLON!