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Learn more about Anderson's high school and read a brief story about camp on the school's main page.

Watch a self portrait of Anderson called "My Life with Music," which the Veoh Video Network hosts on its Web site.

In a world of restrictions, Anderson doesn't yield

Listen to an audio version of this story.

Many would consider what Cameron Anderson does in his spare time foolhardy or even dangerous.

For Anderson, a soon-to-be junior at Roosevelt Senior High School in Minneapolis, his risky dabbling has a much greater purpose than what an outsider might see on the surface.

“People say things that I cannot do and it’s a restriction against me,” Anderson said. “I like the fact that I can try to do something like that and prove them wrong.”

While life contains multiple restrictions in different facets, Anderson, 16, said he won’t let them stop him from enjoying each day. That’s why he sees running across Highway 62 with moderate traffic, swimming near the edge of Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, learning how to play a variety of instruments and crafting superb April Fool’s Day jokes as commonplace.

He has enjoyed all the rewards that came with his risks, gaining the respect of his peers; he’s only broken one bone his entire life, in an unrelated, casual monkey bars mishap at an early age. Now, a new challenge in Eau Claire has sparked his interest and his desire to prove anyone who doubts him wrong.

“I’ve never experienced a camp before in journalism,” Anderson said. “I have clues about what it is, but I wanted to learn more about it. I wanted to see if I had an interest in it.”

The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire hosted a six-day, summer journalism camp for students of color from July 22 to July 28. Through the camp, eight professional journalism mentors aided nine students from multiple ethnic backgrounds as they produced a video, audio and print story of an aspect of diversity in the Eau Claire area.

The camp’s aim was to encourage each student to pursue a college education in journalism and possibly a career.

Delainia Haug, an English teacher at Roosevelt Senior High School, encouraged Anderson to join the camp, even though his interest lies in video editing and producing, he said. Still, the idea of trying something new and challenging led Anderson to Eau Claire.

“I wanted to see if I would be good at it (writing),” Anderson said. “When I see something like that, and it strikes my interest, I’ll go with that. Why pass up a free opportunity?”

He knew he wouldn’t let writing be an obstacle he couldn’t overcome, especially with his fascination of the press and the role they play in society.

“I want to know how journalists go about their day and how they gather information,” he said. “It’s the fact that a simple word or video can make a person feel good … or make a person lose their job. “

Anderson’s refusal to let obstacles stand in his way could play a key role in his development as a potential journalist, he said. It’s already played a role in his personal life. He’s produced three, short video clips for fun, learned how to play the trombone, cello, piano, harp and flute among several other instruments and become an avid fan of anime cartoons. His passion to stay outside the lines in life has fueled all of these hobbies; he learned how to play each instrument because he couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to and watches anime because the content does not have the same restrictions as mainstream animation.

Anderson hopes his later endeavors will keep him satisfied. The camp, he said, is one of life’s turning points, and it could lead him closer to the journalism field.

“High school is an important time because you change into a person you’re going to be,” he said. “Coming here gives me a range of ideas (for my future). It’s a lot of work, but it’s really cool.”

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