Grant Johnson spent half his year in Ithaca and the other half in the Czech Republic. He continued his commitment to serving his community and telling meaningful stories in both places. In the Fall, Grant volunteered at the non-profit Ithaca Children's Garden on several projects, including the Scarecrow Jubilee. He also continued his work as the first mentor of the Ithaca High School TV Production Club for individual service, where he trained the next generation of journalists with the club's adviser. In September, Grant traveled to Philadelphia, where he was named a 2023 NLGJA CONNECT fellow and was one of 10 students nationwide recognized for reporting on LGBTQ+ issues. Grant split his time this semester between his service, classes at the Park School, and being a part-time multimedia journalist at CBS affiliate WBNG in Binghamton. His reports for the station on the antisemitic attacks at Cornell University were broadcast nationally. Grant took the opportunity to study abroad in the Czech Republic for the Spring semester. While in Prague, Grant also volunteered to mentor hundreds of high school students, critiqued their work, and appeared virtually as a keynote speaker for the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalist Student Conference. He also produced a documentary on the rise of comic books in the Czech Republic featuring some of the most well-known names in the field. The Syracuse Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and College Broadcasters Inc. recognized Grant for his work in hard news coverage during the year. During the summer, Grant was a multiplatform intern at NBC 5–his hometown station in Dallas. Grant is sending the Fall 2024 semester in Los Angeles, participating in the Ithaca College Los Angeles program and continuing to work in local news reporting and broadcasting.
Grant Johnson
