The Center for Media Innovation and Research (CMIR) has a few memories for me. I have been there for
club meetings, study sessions, and to talk with UF J-School alums on Skype with
the video screen. The video calls were really fun and interesting because we,
as a club or class, got to ask the alum questions. The alums were so great
providing us with their insight, which was great because they were once in our
shoes and in the TV business (where we want to be).
The College of Journalism and Communications have been really great for many students and
I. For me personally, I have had many learning experiences in the J-School. The
J-School does a great job giving students the best real life experiences inside
school. During classes TV1 and TV2, I got a rude awakening into the TV
business. There’s a bad aspect of any job out there and I learned everything
bad aspect of being a TV reporter. Specifically in TV2, it was tough, my
partner and I face all types of challenges where people didn’t want to talk to
us, or simply not making deadline. Those were real experiences many other
students other schools do not get to have.
Another
thing I learned was to what it meant to wait my turn. I had to wait three years
for me to get an opportunity in front of the camera. During those three years I
saw friends and classmates get opportunities I wanted. I was constantly passed
over for things on-air in both Radio and TV. This past summer, I finally got a
chance to do a segment on our school news show. Going through those experiences
of getting past over taught me two things: never give up on your dreams and
TV/Radio is a cutthroat business. I have the confidence that I can succeed, but
if it doesn’t work out I understand.
I understand the risk of the
profession and how cruel it can be. I’m thankful and will always be thankful
that I got a chance here to live out my TV dreams, even if it means I can
barely compete for a job. Decades from now I can look back and be proud of
myself for not giving up. I still don’t have any plans of quitting now. It’s
still in my heart to be a sportscaster and I feel it when I working a ESPNGainesville at Weimar Hall. I’ll keep giving it my all then dealing the results
of the outcome.
