Stratford High School (SHS) senior Caden Stone has a clear vision for his future: becoming a sports broadcaster.
This summer, Stone took a step toward that goal by exploring another side of journalism through a media internship at Baylor College of Medicine.
A catcher on Stratford's varsity baseball team, Stone is also active on The Oracle, the school's student magazine, and SHTV News, Stratford's student-run broadcast journalism program.
Whether covering campus stories or photographing Spartan athletic events from the sidelines, storytelling and sports have become inseparable parts of his high school experience.
Stone's broadcast journalism teacher encouraged him to apply for the internship as an opportunity to extend classroom learning into a professional setting, reflecting SBISD's T-2-4 vision to providing students with meaningful, career-connected experiences.
"I've always seen myself in sports media, but I wanted to challenge myself by experiencing journalism in a different setting," Stone said. "The internship helped me realize that the skills behind great storytelling are valuable no matter what you're covering."
Working in a professional environment also helped Stone develop skills beyond writing and content creation. Collaborating with another intern taught him patience, teamwork and the importance of clear communication. Observing experienced professionals gave him a better understanding of what it takes to succeed in the workplace.
"I learned what it means to be professional and how important it is to communicate and work well with others," he said. "That experience gave me a lot more confidence in myself."
The experience reinforced Stone's commitment to pursuing a career in sports broadcasting and gave him valuable insight into the field he plans to study in college. He hopes to major in communications or broadcast journalism and continue building toward a career in sports media.
"The internship confirmed that sports journalism is what I want to do," Stone said. "It pushed me outside my comfort zone, and I came away even more excited about studying journalism in college and one day becoming a sports broadcaster."
As Stone begins his senior year, he returns with more than professional experience. He brings back greater confidence, a broader perspective and an even stronger commitment to the career he has envisioned for years.