Mishaps and Marvels

This week in ISM I completed 2 virtual interviews and completed my Original Work Proposal. This week was extremely busy and I was reminded of the importance of managing my time wisely in order to successfully complete all of my ISM tasks. All of my hard work paid off as Taylor Swift released 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and I was overcome with emotion listening to it.

My first interview was with Ms. Holly Hartman, a Chronicle published journalist and Yearbook and Newspaper advisor in the Houston area. My interview day was a little chaotic. Before the meeting, I was having trouble entering my Zoom account and was unable to start it as it said “authorization blocked”. Luckily, my Newspaper teacher Ms. Gilmore helped me out and I was able to conduct the interview through her Zoom account. The meeting was wonderful and I loved what Ms. Hartman told me about being a good news consumer and how to remain objective as you write. However, the interview ended abruptly, as we suddenly had an evacuation drill, and I was caught off guard. She was very understanding about the event and I am grateful for her kindness and compassion. Looking back, I am glad I was able to experience those challenges as I believe it helped me be more prepared and reminded me that not everything will always be perfect, and that’s completely fine. I am glad that I was able to conduct this interview despite the chaos of the day and connect with Ms. Hartman.

My second interview was with Ms. Samantha Berry, the Director of Education and Curriculum of CADY Studios. This time there weren’t any technical difficulties, yay! She generously provided me with a Zoom link and I was able to log into the meeting successfully. Throughout the meeting, we discussed what originally drew her into the journalism field and how she originally didn’t love teaching the subject, yet she grew to enjoy it around her third year of teaching. Also, she discussed how she wants to make journalism appealing and inspire others to pursue it. Hearing her explain her path to journalism and her goals for the journalism industry really resonated with me and I would like to connect with her again and ask her to be my mentor.

I also completed my Original Work Proposal this week which helped me have a focused direction for the rest of ISM and solidify my ISM goals for this semester. I decided that I wanted to create a presentation to inspire younger students to pursue journalism in the future. I plan to have my presentation describe the article writing process and integrate a scientific source, combining my passion for writing with my passion for science. I hope to continue to modify and enhance my original work once I connect with my mentor in the future.

I am so proud of myself as I completed 2 interviews this week and am beyond excited to continue interviewing professionals!