Next week, Alex Anderson, who interned with Heritage’s Young Leaders Program this summer, will be joining two other CNN iReporters for an all-expenses-paid trip to Tampa, Florida, to cover the Republican National Convention. Anderson, who is a rising junior at Hillsdale College in broadcast journalism, was the only college student chosen to cover the RNC.

CNN also chose three winners to cover the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September. These six winners were selected out of 217 submissions. The CNN iReporters will have the opportunity to cover the conventions up close and personal, from first-person video commentary and on-air reporting to photography coverage and interviews with convention attendees and local residents.

As Anderson mentions in his 45-second contest submission, the social media sphere has uniquely connected his generation in a way never before seen in history. Whether through Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, this generation is communicating instantly in a way that journalists could only dream of 20 years ago. And that gives this generation an added responsibility. In his submission video, Anderson said he was reminded that “the future of America will be dependent on his generation.”

You can see his iReport submission here.