“I think that my family is such a strong influence in my life that I just love being around them, and they’re always so positive and uplifting. They hype me up,” says Claudia Standeford, a 17-year-old from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
She will be a senior come the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Claudia says her mother is her greatest inspiration and that her own faith is what keeps her going.
Currently, Claudia is attending OIDJ, a journalism camp at OU for the second time. She expressed that during her first time last year she was nervous and unsure about what she was doing, but with that she says that there were comforting people that made the week fun and enjoyable.
“By the end of the week, I was super goofy … I’m usually really introverted,” she says.
Claudia, back here at OIDJ for round two of hands-on experience and exceptional mentorship, says she is anxious but excited to expand her knowledge on all things journalism.
“I’m looking to just find out what I want to do in life,” she says, acknowledging that the future holds uncertainty and that if she weren’t to choose journalism as a career, she has considered the medical field.
Claudia believes this camp will help her solidify all the options that she has been considering.
Soft-spoken with a timid smile, Claudia hopes to attend OU, and she thinks that acquiring a degree in public relations will open many doors for her.
“I’m really excited to just explore all of the different sectors of media and see which ones suit me and what I could use for future things.”
