Win-a-trip essay

So this is what I submitted for the competition. I think I've got a shot, man. Give me feedback.

Unplugging. Reconnecting.

Jessica Hullinger
Bloomington, Indiana

Nearly half of all young Americans cannot find New York on a map. Six out of ten cannot find Iraq, and nine of ten can’t find Afghanistan. These statistics come from a 2006 study done by National Geographic, which tested the geographic knowledge of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24.

The results of the study suggest young Americans, of which I am one, have a limited awareness of their surroundings. We are more concerned with our Facebook accounts than the latest news headlines. Our eyes are so glued to the miniature screens of our iPhones, they've forgotten what it's like to look at someone and read the lines of their face. Despite our ability to go anywhere, see anything and talk to anyone at unprecedented speeds, we are disconnected from the rest of the world, and most of us don’t even know it. We’ve become comfortable in a bubble, and our worlds are small and self-oriented.

Have we, the youth, lost our will to explore? Are we stuck in our comfort zones, afraid to leave? How did this happen and what is the remedy? America is too big and too influential. The world cannot afford for tomorrow’s leaders to be ignorant, to lack culture, to have closed minds.

I’ve desired global knowledge since I was young. I am a journalist at heart and an explorer by nature. I’ve never been content without knowing about the happenings in other parts of the world, and I’ve always been lured by travel and adventure. There is a lot out there and I've hardly seen any of it. How could anyone be expected to feel content with that?

For these reasons, I’ve done some traveling and I’ve learned its benefits. I spent a semester in Rome, Italy and my worldview changed dramatically. My empathy for the people there transcends borders. I believe every student should spend at least a semester abroad, and make these connections, too. But for those who can’t, we must connect them to these places through stories.

A good story plants a seed. It pushes you to do something you’d not considered before. I remain a journalist because I want more people to expand their minds and be compelled to connect with and learn about the world they live in. We began as a family and we remain one, and we must reach out to distant relatives lost in the digital divide.

Part of the reason young people tune the world out is because they don’t understand it. It’s big, it’s intimidating, and many parts of it are plagued by realities that make the heart ache.

If you pick me to help you tell Africa’s stories, I will write compelling tales young people can read without getting lost. My knowledge of Africa is limited, but I am not afraid to ask questions so I can better understand. My readers will learn with me, and I will challenge them to think with a critical and open mind.

What are my qualifications? I will graduate in May from Indiana University Bloomington with a B.A. in journalism and a political science concentration. I wrote for three years for the IU newspaper (The Indiana Daily Student). This past semester I was the “diversity” beat reporter and covered cultural issues and events on campus and in the community. Currently I write for a local paper called The Herald-Times.

But to be honest, I feel too tame in news reporting. I need to write with unbridled feeling and passion, and so I also blog.

Other than that, I’m optimistic, strong and wild. I am driven to learn and see and touch and I want others to be driven, too. It is urgent that young people learn to unplug and reconnect with the world. We’re the future, and the future is global and the world is huge. We can only help Africa if we know Africa, and too many kids don’t even know which oceans sit where. To them, those oceans are barriers, which we must encourage them to cross.