Kid Reporter Alumni Spotlight: Camryn Garrett

Every year since 2000, our editors have selected a team of students to report for TIME for Kids. Nothing brings us more joy than seeing former TFK Kid Reporters pursue their goals.

Before Camryn Garrett, from New York, joined our crew in 2013, she felt shy. “It was hard for me to talk to strangers or to talk to classmates and teachers about my writing goals,” Garrett says. “Becoming a TFK Kid Reporter didn’t turn me into an extrovert overnight, but I became so much more confident.” Now Garrett writes for different media outlets and has published several novels.

Her favorite TFK assignment? “I really loved going to a press junket for Frozen,” she says. “I got to see an advance screening of the movie, then go to press roundtables with other journalists. I interviewed Kristen Bell [above], Idina Menzel, and the composers.”

Find more from Garrett below, including tips for applying to be a TFK Kid Reporter.

Think you have what it takes to be a TFK Kid Reporter? Now’s your chance! Visit timeforkids.com/kid-reporter to apply by June 15.

TFK: How is journalism a part of your life now?

Camryn: I read a lot of it!

What’s your favorite memory of being a TFK Kid Reporter?

I really loved going to a press junket for Frozen before it came out. I got to see an advance screening of the movie, then go to press roundtables with other journalists. I interviewed Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and the composers. It was such a big deal to me!

What impact did being a TFK Kid Reporter have on your life and/or career?

I was so shy before I was a TFK Kid Reporter. It was hard for me to talk to strangers or to classmates and teachers about my writing goals. Becoming a TFK Kid Reporter didn’t turn me into an extrovert overnight, but I became so much more confident. I also realized how much I loved journalism! I went on to write for other outlets, like HuffPost Teen, MTV, and Rookie while I was in high school. I also became editor of my school newspaper. Now I’m a published author of five books, soon to be six. I’m not kidding when I say it changed my life.

What advice would you give kids applying for this year’s contest?

Focus on a story that’s important to you. I interviewed a friend’s mom who owned a local flower shop, because I admired her. Your story might not feel super big, but smaller stories can be just as important.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.