Hello family, friends, and all who may see this! My name is Meadow and I am a Junior at Terra Linda High School and the Marin School of Environmental Leadership. I am a writer for FastForward Magazine where I have published several opinion pieces and profiles on environmental justice. Recently I was offered a spot in Fast Forward’s Annual NYC Edition, which is a unique professional writing program for Marin youth each year. Those selected fly to New York City and stay in Manhattan for one week, interviewing distinguished public figures and innovative companies, writing feature articles that will be published in the magazine to be distributed online and all over the county.

This year we will attend a taping of The View, a daytime talk show broadcast in thousands of homes, and will interview host Sunny Hostin. We will be attending the Broadway musical Heathers and afterwards will conduct interviews with the cast members. As a participant in several Terra Linda theatre performances, the chance to speak directly with some of the biggest Broadway actors is not something I would want to miss out on. We will also be interviewing journalists from The New York Times, Executive Producer of Condé Nast, a 9/11 fireman, and members of Human Rights Watch, an international organization that investigates and exposes human rights violations from all corners of the world.

I am extremely excited to participate in this program, though the cost is quite steep. Fortunately, I have been offered a merit scholarship to help cover a portion of the trip and have saved up some money from working at Marin Humane, but I am reaching out to all of you to ask for whatever help you can provide to cover the remaining costs.

It's not every day that I am personally invited to be a part of such an amazing program. As a junior in high school, there is an ever-growing emphasis on college. While I am not certain what degree I may pursue, I do know that I have always had a passion for writing and working with people, and of course the intersection of these two interests is journalism. Including my involvement in the FastForward Magazine NYC trip in my college applications would no doubt make me stand out to any admissions officer. For reference here is a list of colleges that I am hoping to apply to next year: UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, Lewis & Clark College, CalPoly SLO, Seattle University, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Occidental College. Having this once in a lifetime opportunity would differentiate me from other applicants and diversify my list of references throughout the college application process.

Fast Forward’s Annual NYC Edition will provide a professional outlet for my writing, a first-time east coast adventure, and the critical career experience to pursue higher education. Thank you for reading and for your support in helping me attend this trip.

With love,

Meadow McPherson