After thinking long and hard about my options, I’ve decided to come back to Texas from New York on Friday, and I’m convinced it’s the right choice.
No, I didn’t fail, and I don’t feel like I have. I have opportunities for jobs here, and I’m grateful for them. But I realized my heart is in community journalism and sports — two things I can get into at an entry-level position elsewhere. Not to mention it’s more practical — economically — for me to take a job in a city where I’d be making the same salary and the cost of living in general is significantly less expensive.
I also realized a priority for me right now is being near my family and the professional network I’ve established, which includes my mentors and some of my closest friends. They’ve been the best support group in the world as I’ve adjusted to living in the city, and I can’t thank them enough.
I’m extremely fortunate to have spent the summer in the largest city in the country. As cliché as it sounds, it has been a life-changing experience, and I’ve come out of it with a strong backbone, a new outlook on life in general and finally figuring out exactly what I want to do (or where I’d like to start, at least). I’ve met some of the biggest names in the journalism industry, made friends with a handful of the smartest and most passionate people on this earth and stepped outside of my comfort zone in countless ways. I’ve become more independent, confident and aware of this world in just a matter of months, and I’m positive I wouldn’t feel the same way had it not been for the Poynter College Fellowship and my time spent here.
I don’t anticipate being away from New York for a very long time. Rest assured I’ll be back to visit, and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which I fell in love with during its August Academy, is a strong option I’m considering after working in the professional journalism world for at least a year. Right now, I’m looking forward to doing what I’ve longed to do since I graduated, which is telling untold stories, giving voice to the voiceless, honing my multimedia skills and writing about issues that truly affect people and their communities. This is what I want to do, and I believe it starts somewhere other than New York City.
I’m anxious to see what’s in store for me in the coming months. I may not know today where I’ll start my professional career, but I do know my family, friends, professors, former co-workers, Poynter fellows and others have led me in the right direction, and I’m grateful for them. At 22, I believe I’m in a position to accomplish some amazing things in my professional journalism career, and I can’t wait to start.
SEE YOU FRIDAY!