Highlands Alumna Julianna Russ stood still facing the Eiffel Tower– for a brief moment allowing herself to feel it, allowing the rushing sense of accomplishment and delight to flood her.
She was covering an international event.
She’d made it.
But Russ hadn’t always been covering events like this. She had to work hard to get to where she was.
Russ is a student in the undergraduate certificate program in the Carmical Sports Media Institute at the University of Georgia who was selected to cover the 2024 Paralympic Games by her program.
Before she attended the University of Georgia, she went to Highlands High School, getting herself into broadcasting and eventually finding her way back to room 212, where journalism seemed to grab her attention. “…I took a lot of film classes and gained experience with sports broadcasting…my senior year, Mrs. Brubaker agreed to let me participate in her journalism program by taking an independent study period with her.”
Russ continued: “That was one of the best things that could have happened and I’m still so grateful for my year as a staff member for The Hilltopper. My biggest challenge was balancing my love for broadcasting and my love for writing, but thanks to Mrs. Brubaker and Mr. Poff’s flexibility, I was able to make it work and do both!”
While Russ was obviously busy, she never let that stop her journalistic ambitions, according to Beth Brubaker, the current journalism advisor at HHS.
Brubaker said: “Julianna was the epitome of what you would want a student journalist to be, she was not afraid to tackle really challenging problems and was always looking for the next great story. She covered really tough things… Juliana was never afraid to try something different and she worked really hard. She was able to encompass video, photography and writing to really create a beautiful news package.”
For all aspiring journalists, writers or those simply catching hold of a dream, she brings a piece of sage advice– especially for those questioning whether their career choice or point of interest can stand the test of time. A time when AI and so many other internet devices replace human contact and work.
“Journalism is first and foremost a public service. As a journalist, your client is the public. It is the fourth check and balance in our democracy and it is extremely important, but right now, it is under attack.”
Russ continued: “A lot of people are wondering – in a world where the internet allows anyone to portray themselves as a “journalist,” how can real journalists differentiate themselves? The answer is fact-based reporting and the discipline of verification, AKA ensuring that every single thing you write and release can be verified. We are a pipeline to the public and it is a major responsibility. We have to restore the public’s trust in us in order to fulfill our duties.”
Her duties were in a great abundance in Paris. Though stressed and sometimes confused, she embraced this feeling and focused on the task at hand.
“At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, I wrote five pieces for the Associated Press (four published so far and one in line to be published any time now).”
Russ explained that a lot of the time she woke up with no idea what her upcoming story would be.
“I had to go to venues all across Paris, track down sources on the same day, and have an article on my editor’s desk by the end of the day. This past Sunday, I wrote two stories in one day. On days I wasn’t writing, I was talking to athletes and gathering quotes for my friends’ stories.”
She was able to live her dream in Paris.
