TJ Edmund Visits Gateway’s Journalism Class

On February 20, 2025 , TJ Edmund spoke to Gateway’s Intro. to Journalism class! TJ spoke about overcoming challenges he faced through the pandemic in his college Communications program and all that he is looking forward to in his career as he just graduated from Rowan University.

TJ discussed pieces he wrote for his college publications, the challenge of writing about AI as it emerged, and even about creative writing! When giving young journalists advice, TJ said:

“Make sure it’s a topic you can connect with, because then if you’re invested in it, it would be a better draft/product.” 

After listening to what TJ had to say the students in the class had learned a lot from TJ!

9th grade student, Yareli Garcia, said:

“After listening to TJ’s speech, I learned that when an opportunity strikes, it’s best to take it. Build connections, become part of a community, take challenging courses if you fit the criteria—all these factors guide you into a successful life.”

Helena Summers, 9th grader at Gateway, was equally as inspired and shared her appreciation for TJ sharing his grit, stating:

“I thought that TJ being able to persevere and be able to achieve his dream, even with all the challenges he faced, was really inspiring and it shows that if you work hard enough you can achieve many things.”

Ace Smith, aspiring journalist, and also a Gateway Gator, really enjoyed TJ’s connections to the broader communities he’s a part of and felt that was inspirational. Ace shared:

Spencer Barrett, also a 9th grader at Gateway, reflected on the big takeaway from TJ’s motivational reflections when he shared:

“I thought that one takeaway from the speech was that anything you want to do is achievable, and to follow your dreams. He was so inspiring, and the things that he has accomplished and how far he’s gone is something that everybody should look up to. I hope he accomplishes a lot and ends up with a great long-lasting career.”

Just listening to TJ’s speech was inspiring! TJ speaks to both the Gateway to Careers program and to the new Journalism program each year, and each year the day of his visit is a Gator favorite! Good luck in all you do, TJ, and thank you for giving back!