The following story originally appeared on the Charles Center website. – Ed.

While many seek rest and relaxation over academic breaks, Sharp Journalism Seminar students get to work, traveling the globe in search of a scoop.

A joint initiative between William & Mary’s Charles Center and the Pulitzer Center, the year-long Sharp Seminar program gives 12 students the unique opportunity to research, report and write their own stories for publication on the Pulitzer Center’s website. The partnership, now in its 14th year, is made possible by the generous support of Anne and Barry Sharp.

During the fall semester, students earn two credits learning the basics of journalism by researching a topic of their choosing, identifying sources, and preparing for on-site reporting, which is typically conducted during winter break.

In the spring semester, upon returning from their travels, students earn an additional two credits assembling their research into a captivating long-form article for a public audience. 

This year’s Sharp students are reporting from a wide range of locations both domestically and internationally.

International relations and economics double major Akash Nayak ’27, for instance, spent his winter break reporting on democratic backsliding in Slovakia.

Nayak initially gained inspiration to explore this topic further after reading an article about a criminal code revision in Slovakia following the reelection of a former prime minister. The revision abolished the special prosecutor’s office, which was responsible for investigating high-level corruption.

Nayak then discovered numerous other threats to Slovakian democracy.

“It took me down a lot of interesting avenues because not only are these criminal changes in the legal code happening, but also crackdowns on press freedoms and taxes on journalists,” he explained.

In the capital city of Bratislava, Nayak conducted interviews and gained valuable insight into the issue. The experience gave him the opportunity to advance his academic and career interests through on-the-ground reporting.

“Part of the benefit of being in a journalism program like this is that there’s a big focus on hands-on learning,” said Nayak. “I’m excited to take a more qualitative approach by talking to people and learning what they are really thinking, because that can get lost.”

Another Sharp Seminar student, geology and environment & sustainability double major Sonia Samantaroy ’26, traveled to Hawaii to report on the environmental and cultural effects of the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB). Samantaroy’s older cousin, who works in the Hawaiian agricultural industry, sparked her interest in the topic.

“Hawaii is known as the invasive species capital of the world,” explained Samantaroy. “I wanted to explore the invasive CRB species because it is one of the most pressing issues Hawaii is currently facing, and a fairly new species that has become very widespread.”

During her trip, Samantaroy spoke with the state government’s Invasive Species Council, along with a cultural agroforestry movement associated with the University of Hawaii West O’ahu known as Niu NOW. Community events held on Saturdays allowed Samantaroy the opportunity to interview community members on-site.

“It was exciting to interact and have conversations with the community because even though Hawaii is a state in the U.S., there are a lot of really beautiful cultural differences,” she said. “It was very special and impactful to see that in person.”

Government and political communication double major Hannah Sawyer ’27 will travel to New Zealand over spring break to report on the impacts of gun violence and firearm policy in the country.

Sawyer explained the significance of the 2019 Christchurch shooting at a mosque, which made international headlines. Only the second mass shooting in the nation’s history, this tragedy led to a rapid cascade of gun control policy reform and firearm restrictions.

The recent election of a new justice minister, however, creates great uncertainty for New Zealand’s future regarding gun policy as he campaigned on a platform of rolling back firearm restrictions. Sawyer’s project explores the implications of the proposed rollbacks for a variety of key stakeholders in New Zealand, allowing her to gain a wide scope of perspectives on the issue.

Sawyer’s inspiration for this topic comes from personal experience. Growing up on the North Shore of Chicago, she has been a direct witness to the impacts of gun violence on local communities.

“I was 15 minutes away from the Highland Park shooting. Experiencing first-hand the impacts of mass shootings in the U.S. motivated me to get involved in advocacy and activism myself,” she explained. “I wanted to explore what gun policy looked like after mass shootings in other countries, and I think U.S. politicians tend to praise New Zealand as the ‘A-student’ when it comes to gun policy, although I’ve found this isn’t necessarily the case.”

Sawyer also noted how this unique opportunity to conduct on-the-ground reporting is unparalleled.

“To think that as a sophomore in college, I’m getting a fully funded trip to go to New Zealand and cover a topic I’m passionate about is something I can’t say I would have been able to do at any other school or program,” Sawyer said.

Applications for the Charles Center’s 2025-2026 Sharp Seminar will open March 1 and are due Monday, April 1, 2025. For more information, click here.