Columbus, Miss. - Jessica Barnett, editor of MUW’s campus newspaper, The Spectator, will be attending White House College Reporter Day on April 28.

Student reporters from dozens of campuses across the country were selected to participate in the first-ever White House College Reporter Day. Participants are scheduled to attend a news briefing with White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest in the White House Press Briefing Room, discuss campus-related issues with senior administration officials and meet members of the White House Press Corps.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” said Barnett, a senior and Communication major at The W. “I was surprised to receive the invitation to apply and even more so to have my application accepted.”

Barnett’s selection is an honor not only for her, but also for The Spectator and the university.

“We are excited about Jessica taking part in this opportunity,” said Barry Smith, chair of the Department of Communication. “It really reflects well on The Spectator and The W that our paper and university will be represented at this first-ever event at the White House.”

Barnett joined The Spectator team as a reporter in Fall 2015. By the beginning of spring semester, she was Online Editor and Managing Editor. In March, she accepted the position of Editor.

“I remember walking into my first Spectator meeting thinking, ‘I’m going to serve my time and get the heck out,’” said Barnett. “I never expected any of this to happen, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Cromwell and Spectator have become a second home for me, like it has for a lot of my classmates. I am so excited to represent them and The W in D.C.”

Coverage of White House College Reporter Day will be available in the next print edition of The Spectator, available May 6.