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May 29, 2025Emma Bowman considers herself a “natural introvert.”
And yet, she bravely embraced a new challenge entering her senior year at Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School: newspaper reporter.
“I found myself constantly stepping out of my comfort zone to talk to people about the events they were involved in,” Bowman said. “Conducting interviews was super scary at first, when it came to talking with students outside of my senior class.”
Still, Bowman kept interviewing and kept writing, delivering compelling stories that became popular with classmates, teachers, parents and alums.
“I had numerous people stop me after Sunday Mass at my parish, Christ the King, as well as other places at least once a week, to simply tell me how much they enjoyed reading about the students and teachers at The Mount,” Bowman said.
“Everyone that I've spoken with in the last nine months about this column had nothing but positive feedback for me, which was massively encouraging to do even better for whatever piece I had next on my calendar.”
Bowman was one of four student reporters from the three Oklahoma City high schools to bring a new voice to Sooner Catholic, joining Katherine Menz at Bishop McGuinness and Diana Garcia and Mariana Carrera at Cristo Rey.
The new feature, just one aspect highlighting the appetite for good coverage of the archdiocese, will return for the 2025-26 school year. Expect more new communications content overall, too, ranging from stories to videos and photos to podcasts and more.
With so much taking place at the schools, and a large interested audience, providing coverage made sense. It also provided the students with opportunity.
“In reporting for the Sooner Catholic, I feel I was given more opportunity to share the Irish mission through the stories of my peers,” Menz said. “I also believe that it gave me more experience in writing for a newspaper, which is something I want to continue as an adult.”
Like Bowman, Menz said she heard from many readers, as well as those who made the news.
“I heard positive feedback from people all around Oklahoma saying they enjoyed reading about the younger generation of the Church,” Menz said. “In addition, the people who were featured in the stories said they appreciated having their stories shared.”
The students, who took their roles as reporters seriously, said they recognize the need for good and accurate storytelling, whether in school hallways or across the globe.
“In a world where much of the news is negative, I think it’s important to also tell the positive stories like those at McGuinness,” said Menz, who just completed her junior year. “I feel that my work for the Sooner Catholic allowed me to share a bit of hope in a world that can sometimes be seen otherwise hopeless.
“As media and communications continue to change, I think it’s important to keep the consistent goal of helping people stay informed by reporting the truth. I believe that communication is the key to promoting positivity and mutual understanding between all people in a world where so much is miscommunicated.”
Bowman, a recent Mount Saint Mary graduate, has been hard at work on a multimedia portfolio, including writing and directing a short film for class. And she recognizes the importance of storytelling.
“Writers tell the stories of our world, informing and enchanting audiences while also taking direct criticism over unavoidable bias on certain topics,” she said. “As a writer myself, in a world that seeks to diminish the light of Christ, I constantly find myself reveling in the power of speech.
“Words possess meaning. I have been blessed to articulate my thoughts and observations to others through writing, both academic and professional. Writers shape stories. Stories become our history. History teaches us lessons.
“As a writer and storyteller, I think that telling the masses about the message of Christ through small stories with heavy meaning is perhaps the most humbling experience of my life to date.”
John Helsley is editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: Emma Bowman took a break one afternoon from working on a story for the Sooner Catholic. Photo provided.
See related story: Sharing stories of faith, hope and love