A Week's Reflection

Well I am officially back at home in Cleveland, Ohio, a much duller place to be. My plane landed at eleven p.m. last night, and I appeared so tired that my parents insisted that I looked awful (thank you mom and dad, what every daughter loves to hear). I am gloriously typing this from the comfort of my own bed, and I am so thankful to be able to relax my sore legs.

This trip was amazing, and it was definitely well worth the blisters and a terribly bruised knee (I am clumsy on wet subway stairs). I love college life and Miami University, but I constantly worry about the future. I have to admit, some of these bookings really stressed me out, because every person we spoke to was very adamant that it was necessary to have a blog, newspaper clippings, stellar grades, nine internships, a thousand prayers to god, more luck than the Powerball winner, and a close relationship with Barbara Walters in order to secure a job. I am very tempted to title my research paper “The World is Very Competitive,” but I’ll try my best to be more insightful.

I do think that these experiences have sparked more motivation, and I hope that I can achieve more writing this semester. I do really enjoy writing, and I never thought about just starting my own blog. I would have a lot of freedom to write about whatever I fancied, and that would be a lot of fun. I might not receive a huge audience, but at least I could show it to employers and say, “this is what I can do.”

Overall, these meetings gave me a greater insight about the growing digital world. I was also happy to see that print isn’t really dying like everyone thinks it is, and that many publications have found a way to keep their readership strong. A lot of people are skeptical about the job availability for journalism majors, but there are so many opportunities that aren’t always obvious. I have not decided whether I would like to pursue a more financial and business related career over a journalistic one, but it is nice to know that I can expand my horizons and increase my prospects.

Not only have I learned a lot, but I had a lot of fun. It was great to see Times Square, watch Stephen Colbert, and go to a Broadway show. These are memories I will have for a lifetime, and I consider myself very fortunate for the experience. Thank you, Professor Newberry!

Kelly O'Bryan and I representing out sorority, Chi Omega, in Times Square.