During the political polarization of 2020, it seemed to Anna Kezar that the news media couldn’t care less about honest journalism. But, she wondered, what if that could change?
“This is the status quo of journalism,” said Kezar. “But it doesn’t have to be like this. We can’t go back, and we can’t stay where we are. We have to adapt and move forward.”
After taking a high school journalism class, she realized she might be cut out to do just that, for her curiosity and talent for writing lent themselves perfectly to the field.
So when looking for a school, the Maine native searched for a small Christian college with a solid journalism program. A tour to Grace, and she and her family knew: It was where she belonged, no matter the 952-mile distance. She deposited, and it wasn’t long before she had scoured every blog on Grace’s website.
Kezar entered Grace as a journalism major in 2022. While she enjoyed courses such as Introduction to Journalism, the work overwhelmed her at first. Kezar had expected the class to challenge her, but she hadn’t anticipated how foreign the concepts would be. She recalls processing with a friend over lunch after each class.
“We’d sit there and question what we were doing with our lives,” said Kezar, laughing. “And we’d both arrive at the conclusion that this is where God wanted us. It was very formative for me to realize that yes, this is hard, but it’s so worth it to do it well.”
At Grace, Kezar found abundant opportunities to hone her craft outside of the classroom too. She wrote for the school newspaper her first year, and thanks to a referral from one of the newspaper’s editors, she landed a writing internship with Grace’s marketing department her second.
One of Kezar’s duties as an intern? Writing the blogs and press releases that had cultivated her love for Grace as an incoming freshman. Another responsibility sharpened her vision of the future. Through freelance writing for a publication in Fort Wayne, she discovered her calling in solutions journalism.
“Solutions journalism looks at the problems we face in the world, and it asks, ‘How can those be solved?’” said Kezar. “‘What is being done right now? Does it work or not? Where are the opportunities to help?’”
Kezar realized there was so much more to journalism than pointing out a problem; through her reporting, she could become part of the solution.
“It’s important to get factual information that is balanced, relevant, and challenges people to engage with the world rather than run away,” said Kezar. “And that’s important for Christians especially. We’re called to be a light in the world, to reach into the margins of humanity with the Gospel.”
Kezar became that very light this past summer in Budapest, Hungary, for her most recent journalism internship with One Missions Society, which equips missionaries and missions work around the globe. She was trained in print communication, videography, and photography. Kezar plans to return to Hungary for a semester abroad in her final year of college.
Whether writing through a blog article, a newspaper profile, or a promotional video, and whether in the Northeast, Midwest, or another country entirely, Kezar knows that journalism is about more than just telling a story — it’s about telling God’s story, and telling it well.
“Every single story and person I interview strengthens my faith and gives me perspective,” she said.
At Grace College, we know you were created for more than shallow relationships, a tolerable job, and weeks spent scraping by. You were created for community, knowledge, and eternal impact. You were created for more. Our mission is to help you discover what “more” looks like for you.
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