Nina was quiet for a moment, organizing her thoughts. "Being there, seeing the program up close, I kept thinking about why I wanted to be a journalist in the first place. It wasn't because I wanted to work for prestigious publications or win awards. It was because I wanted to tell stories that mattered, expose problems that needed fixing."
"You can do that at major newspapers."
"Maybe. But I could also do it other places. Maybe better, in some ways."
"Like where?"
"I don't know yet. That's the thing - I've been so focused on following the traditional path to journalism success that I haven't really considered alternatives."
Kofi studied her face, trying to read what she was really thinking. "Are you saying you don't want the fellowship?"
"I'm saying I want time to think about it without pressure. They gave me two weeks to decide."
"And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, we keep doing what we're doing. School, work, figuring out what comes next. Together."
