Everything went by in the blink of an eye. At the same time it feels like it’s been forever. I still can’t grasp that I was chosen to participate in this wonderful opportunity. I’m proud to say that I now have bragging rights. Truly excited to add this to my accomplishments and show off to future potential employers. I didn’t fully understand what I was getting into but that was the beauty of it. There was chaos, there was stress, but there were laughs and powerful connections. Good memories were made and I know I will recommend that my other journalist peers shoot to be a part of this as well.
Most importantly for these projects and as journalists we were able to highlight community member’s stories that probably wouldn’t have been told. That is always the best part, getting to sit down and not have an interview with someone but a conversation, a moment to get to know them. Being able to capture some of that in audio, photos and words is amazing. I love being able to do all the multimedia aspects. I can’t imagine limiting myself to just one. The mentors and all the other staff helped me see that it’s doable. With the right support and a newsroom that cares about you as an individual, your health, your needs, and wants, anything is possible.
I realized I’m more capable than I give myself credit for. I learned more about myself, print media was my original goal but as time goes on I fall in love with photography and audio more and more. Learning to work in a real news room with real deadlines makes me feel confident to join the journalism world. It makes me feel like I am in the right place. That journalism really is my calling.
