A Week To Remember

What a memorable week! This week in ISM I finished preparing for the Business Symposium in class and then attended the Business Symposium at Panther Creek High School.

This week was an intense one as I had 4 tests, the PSAT, and our Business Symposium, but despite all of the craziness, I feel so accomplished and proud of everything I did this past week.

During class, we conducted mock interviews which was an experience that helped calm me and made me feel more comfortable and confident in my speaking abilities. We partnered up and took turns being the professional and student, and this gave me perspectives from both sides. I was able to see what kind of questions professionals would ask me and generate answers as a student. On the flip side, pretending to be a professional helped me practice asking interview questions and see the flow of questions being asked as well as learn more about my peers. Practicing definitely helped me focus, plan out my responses, practice interview etiquette, and overall feel more at ease about going to the Business Symposium.

Now onto the most exciting event and what I’ve been preparing for: Business Symposium! Throughout the day, I was able to connect with other ISM students, professionals, and staff, which was an amazing experience. The various workshops we attended ranged from how to set up our digital presence, ideas for original work, and getting overall advice about the class. My favorite aspects of the Business Symposium were the interviews and the opportunity to hear from former ISM 1 students, whether that be those that are currently in ISM 2 or ISM alumni. I believe that interviews are such an important experience to be familiar with, in life and in my topic of journalism. Being interviewed a couple of times helped me increase my confidence and reflect on what led me to this journey. I believe I made connections that will help me gather more information for my research. Also, hearing former ISM students’ topics and experiences helped me gain a clearer understanding of my path for this class and combated my fears of getting a mentor or not feeling prepared enough.

The Business Symposium was an event that took my breath away. It reminded me of the reasons I chose to participate in ISM in the first place. The people I met, the connections I built, and the interactions I had could not have been substituted for anything else. Beyond grateful and glad for that experience, I feel more reassured and at peace in my path for this class.