![JSR students Jaein Cho, left, and Joann Song, right, get to know each other during the Orientation for the Spring 2015 semester of JSR. [Geoff Geis]](http://www.jstudentboard.com/reporter/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/jaeinandjoann.jpg)
This will be the 14th semester of JSR, which produces the only part of the Korea Daily written in English for the next generation of Korean Americans. Participants see their work published on these pages and online at jstudentboard.com.
According to student editor Aaron Lee, the program is immensely useful for young writers.
“JSR challenged me to maximize meaning and expression,” Lee told JSR in an interview. “I became able to truly enjoy writing and express my thoughts with conviction and confidence.”
Yet JSR is far more than a writing program. In Lee’s words, “Successfully using language in order to report… and deliver opinions is a priceless skill that can be useful in any career or field of study.”
Joyce Lee, another student editor, commented that “this program has been essential in shaping me as a person… during the most formative years of my life. JSR’s influence has extended beyond my capabilities as a journalist to transform the way I see the world.”
Student editor Seo Jin Lee said, “[Through JSR,] I’ve gained experiences, insight, and skills that are useful in social settings and the classroom… JSR teaches students how to be more resourceful and reach out with new forms of journalism.”
She continued, “I’ve found my voice through journalism. I am indebted to this program for allowing me to realize matters of utmost importance to me.”
JSR allows students to explore their passions and interests by choosing their own topics and developing them with the help of our dedicated program coordinator and a team of veteran student editors who provide hands-on guidance. Over the semester, each student is assigned to a small group led by an experienced student editor who acts as a mentor during the planning, researching, writing, and revising of a piece of original journalism every three weeks. Students gain skills including leadership, analysis, cooperation, and citizenship.
In addition, the program includes enriching field trips and workshops; past trips have included the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Trojan, and past speakers have included KoreAM editor-in-chief Julie Ha and radio host Alex Cohen.
JSR prepares students for college success, and members of JSR’s class of 2015 boasts many students who credit the program with helping them achieve admittance to top-tier schools. Next semester, two of those seniors will be attending Harvard, two of them will be at Princeton, and others will be enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Dartmouth, Stanford, and NYU. Many of them will join other former JSR students on the staffs of college papers including the Harvard Crimson, the Daily Princetonian, and the Dartmouth.
The admission fees are $500 for new students and $350 for continuing students. Application forms can be accessed at jstudentboard.com/reporter/join-jsr/ and must be submitted by Monday, June 29, 2015.
