I spent the first two years of college in a small school in Carrollton, Georgia, with few opportunities to grow as a person. The University of West Georgia is largely a commuter school, and students who attend the school have more than likely grown up in Atlanta and attended high school in the city as well. So, I knew my surroundings, went home whenever I wanted, and didn't get an opportunity to venture out of my comfort zone at all.
Broadcast television and politics have always been two obsessions of mine, so I knew that eventually I would end up in Washington, D.C. So, during the Fall semester of my sophomore year, I knew it was time that I did something about that. I applied for this program, and by the grace of God, Amos gave me the opportunity to spend a summer with SIWJ. When I visited the school over Spring Break this year, I was so struck by the school and the opportunities available that I decided to apply. I was admitted as a transfer student about four weeks ago.
Most of the students in this program will be leaving in a couple days, but I'll remain in the city for another month of my internship, plus another two years while I finish my degree at GW. So, this doesn't feel like the end to me--at all. It feels like my future is really just getting started. This program gave me the opportunity to see things I never thought I would ever see, and do things I thought I would never do at age 19. My internship at CNN in "The Situation Room" was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Working alongside Brian Todd, Carol Costello, Abbi Tatton, and Wolf Blitzer is something I never would have had the chance to experience had it not been for SIWJ. It's been amazing to see firsthand how the news is made, and I'm extremely blessed because I also know what I want--and DON'T want--to do in this business. I've helped produce packages that hundreds of thousands of people watched on TV. I've also seen people do jobs that I once thought were for me--and now I know unequivocally that they are not. And this is all before I take my first class as a GW student!
SIWJ has been an incredible experience. I know there's so much more in store for me at this school and I couldn't be more humble and thankful for this opportunity.
