By Bella Richmond, Neighborhood Youth Reporter
July 13, 2022
My name is Bella, and I am a new Neighborhood Youth Reporter (NYR). The Neighborhood Youth Reporters work for Access Sacramento. Access Sacramento is a local nonprofit, providing television and radio content. I will write about relevant issues that affect myself, a junior in high school and an engaged citizen, and Sacramento as a whole. I love this city, and I am excited to bring Sacramento readers the latest updates about their community. The NYR’s publish on AccessLocal.TV, where our unique voices can come together to bring readers the best reporting we can.
For the past few months, I have been interning for Tower of Youth, a digital arts and media youth literacy nonprofit. This internship has prepared me for my work with Access Sacramento. I was able to work with Tower of Youth thanks to my high school, The Met Sacramento, which allows students to be off campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays at internships. During the last two semesters, I have been writing articles, conducting interviews, and making videos about issues the Sacramento public should hear about.
The first set of three articles I published on AccessLocal.TV, through Tower of Youth, was about how students and teachers are adapting to being in-person. This was published after school had just come back in session. The second set focused on the prevalence of arts education in Sacramento high schools. My most recent article was a reflection on the benefits of internships. Thanks to these articles I have learned more about journalistic writing. Now I get to apply all I learned to my work as a Neighborhood Youth Reporter.
I want to write about all the community experiences in Sacramento, as well as current social issues. I grew up on a farm in rural Mendocino County. My family and I moved to Sacramento right before my freshman year. My exploration of this city and my first year in high school were cut short by the pandemic. Now that the city is waking up, I want to report on all kinds of fun activities and experiences. I am inspired to write about things that became important to me during COVID-19. Mental health and the youth’s perspective on academics are subjects I am very passionate about.
Moving into the future, I hope to find more topics that interest me, as well as continue the paths I started. My view is that the best way to create vocal and informed adults is to nurture vocal and informed youth. I hope to always keep the young people who are affected by a given situation in mind. I am always excited to hear about the many local events, protests, and clashes of culture waiting to be uncovered in Sacramento. Whatever my next story focuses on, I will be sure to bring integrity, originality, and color.