In a few months time, former SHS student and current Ball State University attendee, Casey Smith, will be embarking on one of her biggest journalistic challenges yet.

Casey, along with 35 other Ball State students, will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to cover the 2016 Summer Olympics. In the face of an opportunity, such as this one, tensions are high, but this is ultimately an event that both Casey and her two brothers, junior Chad Smith and senior David Smith, say they are excited about.

Chad says he thinks the trip will be a great chance for his sister to go out and see another part of the world while continuing her journalistic pursuits.

“I think it’s really cool,” Chad said. “It’s awesome that she can go and do all the things that she does through her school and through journalism. I think it’s really awesome that she can go and experience other parts of the world.”

David thinks similarly to Chad, feeling as though Casey being able to go to a different country and see what it’s like there will be good for her and her future in journalistic writing.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for her. It definitely gets her a lot of experience,” David said. “I mean, she gets to go to another country and experience life there, and she gets to involve herself in the Olympics.”

David feels as if this is just one big stride towards a bright looking future for his sister.

“She’s going places already, and this is just one other major step that she’s taking, so she’s really going to end up doing good in life,” David said.

Casey, along with the rest of the students going on the trip, won’t even have media passes that would allow them to get into the stadium hosting the games. In fact, the only way they’ll be able to get in is if they buy tickets themselves.

In spite of this, Casey still feels that being able to cover something like the Olympics, even with many hurdles being placed in her path to doing so, will be beneficial to her future.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Casey said. “There will definitely be obstacles, but I think that’s what will make us stronger journalists and what will help us grow through this experience the most.”

Casey says that though this experience will surely be quite the task, she also thinks that it will be a great time nonetheless.

“I think it will be a long three weeks,” Casey said. “But, it will probably be one of the best three weeks of my life.”