High School Students Learn Mobile Storytelling through Summer Intensive Program

July 7, 2026
By Chinaza Okechukwu and Isaac Adjei, SJMC graduate assistants


High school students from across Texas spent part of their summer at Texas State University this year, getting a hands-on introduction to college life through the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's new Summer Intensive program.

The Summer Immersive program grew out of a partnership between Continuing Education and TRIO Programs at Texas State. Upward Bound San Marcos, one of 10 federally funded TRIO programs at Texas State, helps prepare high school students for college.

Leia Enriquez, the newly appointed grant director of Upward Bound at Texas State, said the course fits naturally into the program's mission. Enriquez said many Upward Bound students are first-generation or come from low-income backgrounds, and the program is designed to build their confidence as much as their skills.

“I hope it opens doors for them," Enriquez said. "At the end of the day, I hope that they leave feeling more confident about their self-efficacy and just excited about all the possibilities that come after high school.”

Over the past three years, The TXST TRIO programs have focused on preparing students for the workforce through hands on learning experiences, and collaborations with University faculty, staff and external partners within the I-35 corridor.

Eryn Berger, director of Continuing Education at Texas State, said the program marks the department's first venture into high school programming, born out of conversations with Career and Technical Education (CTE) coordinators at area high schools about what students wanted to learn. Berger said the program was designed around two main goals: giving students real exposure to college life and helping them build tangible, transferable skills they can carry into future careers or college applications.

“This is our first real venture into providing training for high school students, and we're extremely excited about that,” Berger said. "We wanted to have these high school students have the opportunity to envision themselves as Texas State students and get exposure to what it means to be a college student.”

Students spent time on campus, shooting B-roll and conducting on-camera interviews, all from their smartphones. From World Cup stories to the paranormal, the projects students produced reflected their creativity. The final work was compiled into a newscast anchored by the students.