James Bourne practices sitting in front of the camer during a broadcat class.

Renee Daggett found herself comparing notes.

Her sister was sent to fight in Iraq midway through the cherub program, and Daggett found herself getting stories from a war zone.

The stories mirrored the ones Daggett, of Wilton Manors, Fla., heard from several foreign correspondents who visited the journalism program at the National High School Institute and spoke to cherubs about their lives abroad and experiences overseas. They recounted the stories that go beyond what ends up in print.

Some correspondents, like Kerry Luft, foreign editor for the Chicago Tribune, talked about the thrill of getting a story and showed a video from his reporters overseas. Peter Slevin of the Washington Post spoke about reporting on the ground in Iraq after the invasion.

All of this has spurred Daggett's interest in working as a foreign correspondent.

"My sister is serving a very big purpose over there, and I don't see how I can serve much of a purpose staying here," Daggett said.

James Bourne, of Los Angeles, knew that he wanted to be a foreign correspondent before he applied to the program.

“The speakers ignited my interest even more,” he said.

Bourne wants to help put an end to problems in Africa by reporting what goes on under the radar. Bourne also wants to experience the conflicts that erupt overseas first hand.

Krystin Arneson, of Overland Park, Kan., always dreamed of being a foreign correspondent. Her five weeks in the cherub program made her realize her dreams were attainable.

“The speeches made me realize that women can go to places like Iraq and not get laughed at, blown up or kidnapped,” Arneson said. 

The conversations about reporting overseas did not persuade Mike Juliani, of Pasadena, Calif., to become a foreign correspondent.

“You’re always in danger of getting hurt or something going wrong, and it’s just not for me,” he said.

Katie Prentiss, 17, of Tampa, Fla., said she has a new sense of purpose and respect for the reporters that risk their lives for the story.

“I think that humans need to unite,” she said. “A foreign correspondent can be the catalyst for this to happen."