Whitewater Publications welcomed Elijah Dean and Jonah Short, two summer interns who are both graduates of Franklin County High School (FCHS). As the warm summer days draw to a close, it’s time for these young talents to embark on their next adventures. Dean is gearing up to head back to college, while Short is eagerly preparing for his first year.

Short, a 2024 FCHS graduate, is set to begin his college career at Purdue University, where he will pursue a major in business. Eager to earn money before starting school, Short spent his summer working at the newspaper, believing it would be a great opportunity for him as it aligned with his business interests and one of his passions.

“My experience was as good as one could imagine,” Short said. “As someone who is very much interested in writing and business, this opportunity only enhanced my passion for both subjects and clearly paved the way for my future interests in college.”

Short demonstrated his versatility as a writer by sharing excellent articles on various subjects, including poetry and short stories, and was eager to complete any task given to him.

Whitewater Publications co-owner Brian Noah shared, “Having Jonah in the newsroom this summer really sent a message to all the kids his age. It’s cool to express yourself through the printed word somewhere other than social media. Jonah was vulnerable enough to share his poetry with our readers and bold enough to chase down a current event. In addition to the newspaper, Jonah volunteered his TikTok talents to Main Street Brookville.”

When asked what Short would like to do after college graduation, he said,

“I would love to start my own company (which I know is the most suggestive and obvious statement from any “stereotype” business person), but more importantly, I want to help people on a large scale. Whatever business endeavor I find myself in, I won’t enjoy myself if I’m not helping as many people as possible. I believe little acts of kindness do go a long way. As someone who considers the importance of human beings and this country, I really do look at things on a large scale.”

Dean, a 2023 FCHS graduate, is returning for his sophomore year at NKU to continue his major in journalism. 

“Elijah came in like a ball of fire,” Noah said. “I thought he was going to complete an entire summer’s worth of assignments his first day. I’ve seen Elijah, the student, the musician, the bricklayer, the Eagle Scout, the babysitter, and now the journalist. Not much this bow-tied young man can’t do.”

Dean was motivated to pursue journalism after high school for two reasons: a particular middle school class and a hobby, collecting comic books. 

“I took Mrs. Wade’s journalism class in 8th grade and really enjoyed it, Dean explained. “I liked the writing. I also like comic books, and 90% of them have a reporter,” Dean laughed. “That’s just kind of fun to me to take it back to some comic book roots.” 

After starting, Dean found his groove quickly and proved to be a prolific writer. He completed several articles weekly for all four Whitewater Publications newspapers and learned a lot along the way.

“For me, it was really interesting to hear about a lot of the stuff that happens in Franklin County. I live closer to the West Harrison area, so I don’t come here often to get first-hand accounts and make those connections. Interviewing people I had never met before was a way to learn and put myself out of my comfort zone. It helped me to know what questions to ask other than the basic who, what, where, when, and why. When those questions didn’t work, I learned how to ask others to produce a story that was readable, interesting, engaging, and informative. It was the best experience I’ve had in terms of the professional and social work environment. I learned a lot about what actually goes into making a paper, and it was fun to hang out with everyone in the office.”

When asked what Dean would like to do after college, he said. “I haven’t really thought that far. As long as it is a work environment I enjoy and it pays a sustainable living wage, I am happy with what I do. If I am working on something in PR, it wouldn’t be as meaningful. I want my work to be something that betters society and informs people of more important things to come."