Storytelling and Interviews

Req 3b — Interview an Influential Person

3b.

With your parent or guardian’s permission and counselor’s approval, interview someone in your community who is influential because of his or her leadership, talent, career, or life experiences. Then present to your counselor either a written or oral report telling what you learned about this person.

A strong interview is more than a list of questions. It is a conversation designed to uncover details, stories, and insight that people would not learn from a short biography.

Choosing the Right Person

Look for someone whose experiences connect to your community in a real way. This could be a mayor, teacher, coach, business owner, artist, veteran, nonprofit leader, doctor, engineer, firefighter, or another person with meaningful influence or experience.

The best interview subjects are not only impressive. They are also willing to share stories, explain decisions, and reflect on what they have learned.

How to Prepare

Do background research first. You do not want to waste your interview asking things you could have learned from a website or introduction.

Then write open-ended questions such as:

Visual funnel showing broad starter questions leading to deeper follow-up questions and stronger interview answers

What experience most shaped the path you took?
What challenge tested your leadership the most?
What misunderstanding do people often have about your work?
What advice would you give a young person who wants to help the community?

During the Interview

Listen carefully instead of rushing to the next question. If the person says something surprising, pause and explore it. That is often where the best material appears.

Take notes even if you have permission to record. Notes help you mark important moments, emotions, and exact wording you may want to quote later.

Turning It Into a Report

After the interview, look for the most revealing theme. What did you really learn about this person? Maybe it was persistence, service, creativity, courage, or leadership under pressure. Build your written or oral report around that idea instead of simply repeating answers in order.

This option pairs well with Req 5, where you will research journalism careers. Interviewing helps you learn how professionals explain their work and decisions.

Next, if you prefer reading and writing about a journalist’s life, move to the biography-based option.