Nearly a decade ago, Rachel Stults was a journalism cherub at the National High School Institute, writing trend stories and staying up late with her new friends.

Today, she is still close to those friends. And in her job as a reporter at The Tennessean, she often meets journalists of all ages who have attended the cherub program.

“When you meet a fellow cherub it doesn’t matter if the age difference is three years or 30 years, people are so excited to talk about it,” Stults said.

Cherubs is such a unifying experience that the word itself serves as an automatic connection for people who have attended and may not even know each other.

Instructor Elia Powers was a cherub in 1998. One cherub friend will be the best man at his wedding this summer, and another will be in his wedding party.

Stults has also worked as an instructor at the cherub program. She said she keeps in touch with fellow instructors and with her students. Two former students are now working as interns with Stults at The Tennessean.

“Cherubs is an amazing networking opportunity,” Stults said.

Janani Webb, of Memphis, Tenn., said she hopes to be part of the cherub network one day.

“These people have been through the same thing I’ve been through,” Webb said.