In Their Words: Bethany Washington

My journey into the world of media began with an opportunity I could hardly believe was real. Through the Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF), I became part of an ambitious and vibrant community that creates a foundation on which hundreds of students like me build thriving careers in media, entertainment, business, and technology. Being accepted into EBF was an immense blessing, but being placed at Hearst Television-owned WGAL News 8—the news station I grew up watching—felt like a miracle.

My brother, Isaiah Washington, and I on our respective first days as EBF Fellows at WGAL.

My brother Isaiah Washington inspired me to pursue journalism. He was also an EBF Fellow at WGAL, making my fellowship experience especially meaningful. In the years between Isaiah’s fellowship and mine, WGAL shifted to a more digital focus.

My main assignment as a digital content fellow was to produce digital content and web articles. I covered upcoming weather phenomena and community events. But my experience went far beyond creating content and writing articles. I shadowed reporters, assignment desk editors, meteorologists, producers, and sports anchors, gaining a firsthand look at nearly every part of a newsroom.

Meteorologist Ryan Argenti and I go for a ride in the Storm Tracker 8.

While shadowing reporters, I gathered information about homicide cases and their potential motives. At the assignment desk—the news station’s central nervous system—I watched staff listen to several police scanners at once and quickly determine which situations required a follow-up. WGAL’s meteorologists allowed me to ride in the Storm Tracker 8 weather vehicle as they followed the aftermath of horrific flooding. The 4 p.m. producer even gave me the opportunity to produce two blocks of the newscast and helped me write leads for the show. I learned terminology such as “A-block” and how to cut segments of a show when needed. I also created a mock sports segment.

One of the highlights of my fellowship occurred while I was producing social media content for the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) telethon finale. I was surprised to see fellow Messiah University student Sam Erickson at the fundraiser. My brother Isaiah and I had served with Sam on the Advisory Council for Teens (ACT) at Penn State Health, and I had connected with him again through our campus radio station, Pulse Radio.

Sam and I during our time at Pulse Radio.

I interviewed Sam about how CMN saved his life and how he remains involved with the organization. The interview merged my deep passions for journalism, volunteerism, and improving the quality of life for children with chronic illnesses—rekindling my life’s purpose.

Another highlight was writing and publishing an article on the Lenfest Scholars Foundation community weekend. I was able to spotlight the organization’s unparalleled impact on rural Pennsylvania students, like my brother and me, while promoting the opportunity to future applicants and their families.

Isaiah and I pose in our college colors at the Lenfest Community Weekend.

Other highlights include capturing footage of the Goodwill and WGAL Stuff the Truck Showdown and the Lancaster Stormers Fourth of July celebration, where I met the Mayor of Lancaster, community leaders, first responders, educators, authors, and historians.

WGAL employees and I work a table at the Goodwill and WGAL Stuff the Truck Showdown.

I also saw my story ideas come to fruition. During the Fourth of July weekend, severe storm damage led to a talkback with an electrician. After attending an Elvis Presley musical at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, I wrote a review of the show. When a concert I attended was postponed because of severe weather, the disruption was discussed in the next morning meeting. WGAL reporter Sarah Metts interviewed me about my on-the-ground experience for the evening newscasts.

These moments remind me that journalism is not simply about reporting what happens. It is about being present in your community, asking questions, listening to people, and recognizing that your own experiences can help tell someone else’s story.

I have been inspired by the way WGAL employees show up not only for the Susquehanna Valley but for each other. They were generous with their time and feedback, valued my voice and ideas, and gave me opportunities to learn and grow under all of their wings. As a result, I have a better understanding of how to write for an audience, pitch story ideas, stack a show, read weather maps and models, operate cameras, compose shots, and ask the right questions during interviews.

Thanks to the EBF Fellows Program, I got to call the station I grew up watching my workplace for a life-changing 12 weeks. I also had the opportunity to meet EBF fellows interning at another HTV-owned station, WBAL. Through the collaborative leadership of my mentors—especially Assistant News Director John Handiboe, Digital Media Manager Andrew Pulskamp, Meteorologist Ryan Argenti, News Producer Lucy Davis, Photojournalist Ian Lowery, and News Reporter and EBF alum Nicole Beltran—I came to see the news station not as several disparate departments but as one beautiful mosaic. WGAL should stand for Wisdom, Generosity, Adaptability, and Leadership, as these are the qualities its employees radiate brightly.

Bethany and the other WGAL interns meet the interns and fellows at WBAL.

To the Emma Bowen Foundation: Thank you for preparing my brother and me for success through indispensable check-ins and a summer of programming. From riveting career chats to the virtual summer conference and career fair, where we established lifelong bonds with fellows who shared similar goals and interests, EBF fostered a network of care across staff members, alumni, and current fellows. You have maximized our potential and ushered us into our professional futures. My professor, Ed Arke, was so inspired by your mentorship and programming that he is reshaping the journalism curriculum at Messiah University. I am grateful to EBF for enabling a stellar fellowship experience and confirming for me that journalism is exactly where I need to be. Thank you.