By Angelica Euseary, Renaissance Staff Writer
Bowdeya Tweh is a man of many things: Renaissance High School Class of 2003 and Wayne State University Class of 2007 alumnus, dad, husband, sports fan. But he’s also a journalist. Not just any writer, but a development and design reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“It’s funny,” he said. “I remember growing up, being interested in writing. Writing was going to be like a side career. It wasn’t until college when I generally believed I could be a journalist.”
Journalism for Tweh started off as an elective, and he had no idea it would grow into his passion and career. He joined newspaper as a sophomore and had the opportunity to go to the Detroit Free Press as part of the High School Journalism Program. By his senior year, he was the editor in chief of Renaissance’s in0house publication, The Stentor.
After graduating from high school, Tweh participated in the Detroit Free Press apprenticeship in the summer 2003.
“The apprenticeship gave perfect preparation,” said Tweh. “I had responsibilities: writing, editing, and learning from some of the best journalists in the country.
He came back to the Free Press as a Chips Quinn intern on the metro desk in summer 2007, and then as a part-time reporter on the metro desk from October 2007 to April 2008.
“The program has done so much for me,” Tweh said. “I’m happy to know there’s a new generation who can benefit from what I did. Knowing that makes me happy.”
For Tweh, being a journalist is a huge responsibility that he holds in his community.
“You need people who are willing to tell you what’s going on, make a difference, and challenge authority,” Tweh said. “Seeing that in acting was the biggest lesson I learned from the program. It taught me to take my job seriously, and always do my best.”
“Being a part of the Detroit Free Press High School Journalism Program feels great because of the experiences I’ve had,” said Tweh. “The program gave me friends, mentors, and future employers. I don’t know where I’d be without that.”
