HIGHLAND — A Mountain Ridge Junior High School student experienced the opportunity of a lifetime this week after beating out hundreds of applicants for the position as student anchor on Channel One, a teen-geared news station.
Every year, Channel One, which is viewed daily by junior high and high school students across the country, sends out a nationwide request for applications to help produce Student Week. Fourteen-year-old Megan Howell said she knew her video and application needed to stand out. And stand out it did,
By using "cool music" and flash pictures, Howell said her video is what caught the producer's eye. Not only was she selected as one of 15 students to produce the programs, she was placed in one of the three highly sought-after anchor positions.
A few weeks after being notified, Howell caught a flight to Los Angeles.
"I was so excited. I didn't really know what to expect when I was coming," she said during an interview this week. "I've never done anything like this. I didn't think I'd get picked because I'm a lot younger than everyone else."
And by a lot, Howell means about three years. The only freshman in the group, Howell said everyone was surprised to learn she was 14. The majority of the other students are juniors or seniors, including the other two anchors who are both 17.
The past week hasn't been all glitz and glamour — it's been hard work. The students are in charge of helping run the newsroom, and Howell said she spends her time memorizing scripts, doing voice-overs and editing her segments.
"I have always wanted to go into broadcasting," she said. "And this is just good experience."
And part of that experience is the people Howell works with.
"Everyone here is so nice," she said. "They're all here to help us, it's been really cool."
The other students hail from Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland and other states. Some even came from the same school.
Howell said she feels support from her hometown. Although she hasn't had a lot of time to talk to her friends, she said she has received text messages on her cell phone from friends who saw her on television.
Howell's younger sister Tommy, 13, said she think's her sister has done a great job. "It's kinda cool to see my sister up there (on TV)," she said.
E-mail: jelder@desnews.com