Katrina's Mastery Journey

My name is Katrina Wisniewski and I present to you (the viewer) a journal that will contain my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and experiences. In October 2014, I graduated from University of Phoenix with my Bachelors degree in Science of Communications/Journalism. I am currently in my Masters program to obtain my Master's degree in New Media Journal. I am a straightforward individual. I believe in speaking my mind when the occasion calls for it. My Twitter page is utilized to express my thoughts and emotions. Here is the link to my Twitter page to give you a feeling of who I am as a person. https://twitter.com/katieann110 Enjoy!

[kawisniewski]

Parkway Drive: Darker Still Tour Concert review

Tuesday, January 31, 2023 Parkway Drive has done it yet again! It’s not often that Parkway Drive does a North American tour, but when they do, they kill it on stage! I could say that I was impressed, however, that would be an understatement. This show was long coming with so much turmoil and havoc attached; it was definitely overdue. Before the Darker Still Tour, in April 2019 Parkway Drive was…

View On WordPress

[kawisniewski]

FRANK PALANGI: His Music Will "Rock Your Socks Off!"

FRANK PALANGI: His Music Will “Rock Your Socks Off!”

Indie-rock musician, Frank Palangi, explains what led him to pursue a career as a musician, and the struggles he has had to overcome. (Photograph by: Frank Palangi)

Born and raised in Upstate, New York, singer/song writer and LA Music Awards Nominee, Frank Palangi, is making some noise in The Big Apple, not to mention power-rockin’ through the social media influence.

Palangi has performed many…

View On WordPress

[kawisniewski]

It’s been awhile ...

Hey everyone! 

I know it’s been ages since i wrote an entry. I have to admit, it’s been a crazy and very stressful few years. I believe the last time I made a post when was I was in the midst of graduating from Full Sail University. 

I am not even really sure I know where to begin, but I guess I’ll start with the most current issues ... and that’s being unemployed. 

I have had absolutely NO luck finding work. The jobs I have come across have either screwed me over and put me in a really bad position, or I’ve run into seasonal work, and for those of you who have worked seasonal jobs, the ultimate definition of seasonal is “temporary.” 

My family and I are going through a lot of junk, especially financially, and it’s extremely difficult to keep my head up and keep those disgusting positive thoughts going when I can’t even provide financially. 

To be honest, I am not sure where to go or what to do to anymore. I feel as though I have run up against my last wall and I barely have the energy and motivation to keep going. Well, let me rephrase that, I feel like I am on auto-pilot. I just keep on going and not knowing how I am doing it. 

I hope this doesn’t seem like a bunch of gibberish. I am sorry if it sounds like that. I guess I am trying to ... ehh, I don’t think I know what I am trying to do. I just know I HAVE to do something. 

There are so many thoughts running through my head ... I guess i’ll just end it here until the next time I write. 

Thanks for reading (listening) 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: New Media Journalism - Final Project

[kawisniewski]

Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Survivor's Story

Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Survivor’s Story

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a mental illness that develops through various types of abuse and traumatic experiences (i.e. child abuse, sexual abuse, and ritual abuse). These traumatic experiences will cause an individual to create multiple personalities (alters), which can range from different genders and ages.

Sarah E. Olson, a DID survivor and author of Becoming One: a Story of…

View On WordPress

[kawisniewski]

Patients and Therapists Struggle to Unravel Mysteries Behind Dissociative Identity Disorder

Sam Ruck has been married to his wife for about twenty-seven and a half years. However, Ruck’s marriage was put to the test seven and a half years ago when his wife was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

 Over time, Ruck’s wife developed eight different personalities (alters). In the midst of his struggling to keep him and wife afloat, Ruck created a blogsharing his personal…

View On WordPress

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: New Media Publishing and Distribution

Words cannot explain the amount of knowledge I have gained throughout these eleven months at Full Sail University. 

There have been many challenges, obstacles, frustrations, doubts, and above all successes during my Mastery journey. I have completed yet another course, which leads to me my final course of my Master’s program and one step closer to receiving my Master’s degree in New Media Journalism. 

The expectations I had for this course seemed to overwhelm me, not to mention my own expectations I had for myself. My expectations for this course was time consuming and stressful. Life has thrown me quite a few curve balls, and at one point, I was not sure if I was going to succeed. 

I expected the course to keep me in line, especially when receiving feedback from Jeff Sharon, the course instructor at Full Sail University. I found his feedback and opinions to be extremely helpful and inspiring because there were times when I thought I was not good enough. 

I have spent countless hours and sleepless nights trying to complete the Capstone Project, a final assignment required for students to complete prior to graduating the program. During this particular course, there were plenty of things that were required and expected of me. The course’s expectations allowed students to make any finishing touches on his or her project, research potential media contacts for pitching story ideas based on their Capstone Project topics, and to remember everything that was learned in previous courses. I would like to believe that I met those expectations, possibly even surpassed them.  

The content that was most helpful during this course was receiving feedback from my classmates and instructor. I received a variety of feedback from people that was very helpful and insightful, especially concerning how I worded things, or how to approach different things I was trying to accomplish. 

I believe this course prepared me for my career as a journalist by enabling me to see a world beyond just writing an article or interviewing people. There is so much more to being a journalist than just writing or reporting specific events. The techniques and the amount of preparation that goes into being a journalist is amazing and tedious. Everything has to be in the right order and done by a specific time, otherwise you will the moment of opportunity. 

However, it is going to be difficult to stay in a routine of interviewing people on camera and performing journalist-like duties without having to do it for a homework assignment; that is until I land a job as a journalist. I have learned so many things about what to do and what not to do as a journalists; things that I never knew before. I cannot wait to see what my future holds as both an independent journalist and a music journalist. 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Publication Relations and Reputation Management

Well, it is down to the last two months of my Master’s program at Full Sail University. I have two more classes to complete and I cannot be more excited. Although, I must admit that I am little frightened to know my time at Full Sail is almost over. There are many career goals I want to accomplish in my life, and I hope I have the confidence and determination to fulfill those goals. It has definitely been a challenging journey as a journalism student. I have somewhat weaseled my way out of my comfort zone, which is a major accomplishment. However, I am not sure if I can hold up that confidence when I enter the journalism field as a working journalist, but I guess time will tell. 

Publication Relations and Reputation Management taught me how to organize and rearrange the About Me page on my personal website. Tom Vizcarrondo, the instructor for PRRM, was more than helpful throughout this course. He provided feedback in a way that differed from the other instructors. I found his video/audio responses to be quite informative; putting a more personal touch to analyzing and grading my work.  I believe this course exceeded my expectations, and rather it was more than what I originally expected. The instructor was helpful in numerous ways by providing thorough feedback of each assignment, tips, suggestions, and helped me gain clarity as an independent journalist. 

When concerning my website, I learned how properly introduce myself to my audience. For example, one assignment required the class to write a script introducing ourselves to our targeted audience. The script contained information such as educational background, the “beat” or purpose of our website, letting the audience know who you are, listing various skills, and allowing the audience to engage in conversation by providing links to various social media accounts. I realized the importance of engaging and interacting with my audience by letting them know I am real and approachable. I have learned how to hold a professional image, and how first impressions are everything to an audience. 

If I had to choose my favorite assignment it would have to be the assignment that required the class to comment and engage with other blogs and websites. My career goals consist of wanting to become a music journalist. I enjoy listening to metal and rock music, so I want to have the opportunity to interact and interview various bands. I browsed through my Twitter page and found a few music journalists that concentrate on the metal and rock genre. After much reading and listening to various radio shows and articles, I also realized that becoming a music journalist is something I definitely want to do. This assignment helped me see that I want to interview people such as Nick Hippa from former band As I Lay Dying, and Phil Anselmo from former band Pantera. Writing and music are the two things that I have always had a passion for, and what better way to spend my working days than to talk to famous musicians and write about my time with them. 

During this course, the most helpful topic covered this month was understanding how to present and sell myself to my targeted audience. It is important to keep in mind that jobs will not necessarily come easy for a journalist. The work you provide may speak for itself, assuming it will attract the right people, but it is how you (the journalist) present yourself. For example, during a discussion in Week One the class had to draft an About Me script for our website. The script taught me to properly “sell” myself to my targeted audience [putting myself out there if you want to call it]. I also believe that Public Relations and professional journalists can become more than what is normally portrayed. PR and professional journalists can be persistent and frustrating at times, however, their intentions are good and most often misunderstand by not communicating correctly. As a new media journalist, I will reflect back on this course and remember how important both roles are to each other. 

The knowledge I gained from this course will help prepare me for the challenges I will face in the future. Again, I will reflect back on this course [and prior courses] and remember to communicate effectively with the public relations industry. I believe the Public Relations industry and professional journalists lack understanding and communication. There seems to be a lot of animosity toward both industries, so to take this knowledge and apply it future situations will definitely help me in the end. 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Social Media and Online Community Engagement

I cannot begin to explain how much knowledge I have gained since I started this program back in January. I have three months remaining until I officially complete my Master’s program at Full Sail University. Although, I was faced with many challenges that put my both my knowledge and my journalistic abilities to the test. 

My research skills have definitely improved and it continues to grow throughout each course. The experiences I have encountered these past nine months have given me the chance to advance my research skills as a journalist and understand the difference between primary and secondary resources. Each course has taught me to research carefully as well as obtaining the most accurate and reliable pieces of information before settling. I believe my improved research skills will be carried out throughout my journalistic career, and provide me with the reassurance and confidence I need to move forward in the journalism field. 

I believe this course went above and beyond my original objectives and expectations. In this course, I learned how important social media platforms can be to my audience and the journalism field. I was introduced to many social media platforms such as Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Flickr, Digg, and Reddit, which helped promote my personal website. However, I must admit, after becoming active with these social media platforms I was very overwhelmed. Aside from Pinterest, I am not familiar with the other social media platforms, which put me in an awkward position regarding my assignments. I did not realize how many social media platforms existed and how each one was used in various ways. So, this course exceeded my expectations in regards to becoming engaged with the online community and social media. 

This course taught me to be constantly active and engaged with my online audience; making myself known and use social media to my advantage. There are many online outlets to help boost my targeted audience, and will effectively bring more attention to my website. As a journalist, it is important to be aware of social media, and understand how to utilize them properly and effectively. It is also important to remain professional at all times when publishing posts on social media, and give the audience as much information as possible when necessary. I believe this course exercises how students should be aware of what is around them, and pay attention to every type of social media. Social media is key in the journalism field. It is important to do extensive research before publishing a post or writing an article, which will give the audience the right amount of information. 

Social Media and Online Community Engagement helped me to understand the “ropes” of social media, and how each type of social media platform functions. I was able to make various posts at one time on sites like HootSuite, which allows an individual to post on three different social media platforms at once. 

Overall, this course revealed one of many sides to journalism. I was able to engage in several social media platforms by a simple click. I was also able to research various pieces of information by using Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and Instagram.  

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Multimedia Reporting

As I reflect back on the first couple of months, I realize how far I have come in this program. I have learned so much throughout these past eight months; it is amazing to see how quick a 12-month program can pass you by. 

For this month, I am finishing up what would be my eighth class, Multimedia Reporting, and it has definitely been an adventure. As I have mentioned in previous posts, my objectives for each class, including this one, have been an open book. There is much to learn in each course, and each course has a different lesson to be taught. I will admit that it can be quite overwhelming, however each course has allowed me to obtain various pieces of knowledge and to see a different side to the journalism field. 

My objective for this course is to learn something new, something that I can carry on to my future careers both professionally and personally. When completing the assignments, I am constantly reminded about the excessive preparation and dedication it takes to meet the requirements. 

Again, the interviewing process still has me a little nervous, but I think it is slowly diminishing. I came into this program knowing that interviews would be the focus, and I knew I would have to bite the bullet [so to speak] and overcome my fear. I learned how to prepare myself before, during, and after conducting the interview, and to remember the important techniques to utilize throughout those interviews. 

Although, this course starts the process of what is called the Capstone Project, and I have to admit that this has definitely been a challenge in itself. I remembered a week into this course that I would have to begin contacting potential interviewees regarding my Capstone Project topic. So, I was already behind, or so I thought. 

It took an immense amount of dedication, determination, and persistence to contact both experts and people relating to my topic to get at least five interviews. I spent two full weeks contacting therapists, psychiatrists, and individuals who have been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). It was a huge challenge to find a therapist whose clients have DID because not every therapist believes that DID exists. I was lucky enough to come across two therapists who are familiar with DID and see clients who have DID. 

I contacted 70+ therapists and only two of those therapists gave me the response that I needed. I also found it difficult to find and contact people who have DID, and again, I was lucky to have contacted three people who have DID as well as a husband whose wife has DID. 

This course and others to follow will be the most challenging courses, especially because I am at the tail end of my program. The stress level will be high because I am required to complete the course assignments, but also completing my Capstone Project at the same time. 

My Master’s program may be coming to a close, but I can sense that there is so much more ahead. 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Digital News Production

Digital News Production marks the halfway point of my Master’s program , and I have to say that it has been quite a challenge. I have five more classes to go before I complete my program, and graduate with my Master’s degree in journalism. 

The expectations that I had for this course will only grow from this point. This particular course taught me more about the news production process, and expanded my knowledge of how to utilize programs such as iMovie, Adobe Premiere, and Bridge; programs that make digital news production possible. Throughout this course, my expectations exceeded my original thoughts. Each course has pushed me to face my fear of approaching and interviewing people to complete my assignments. In this course, I have had the opportunity to record various events in ways that I have never attempted before up until this class. I realized the amount of time and effort it takes to narrow down my shots from 62 to 15 to make up the requirements. 

During the third week of course, I found myself getting extremely nervous and overwhelmed about the assignments. One assignment required me to attend a newsworthy event within my community and interview at least two people on-camera. I did not know how I was going to manage this assignment, which leads to discuss the course’s expectations of myself. This course requires me to not only comply with the assignment guidelines, but to learn from my mistakes and consider suggestions from both instructor and my classmates. Although, the one thing I need to do is relax. I get so nervous and scared about interviewing people because it is something I am not used to doing, but I think with more practice and consistency, I will get rid of that feeling eventually. 

The content I felt that helped me the most throughout my experience was the consistent feedback from my instructor and classmates. Each critique helped me realize my mistakes as well as the things I need to consider in the future. I am not sure the direction I will go toward, but whatever that direction may be, it is preparing me for what is about to come. 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Multimedia Development and Editing

In this particular class, I will admit, was challenging in ways that I never saw coming; especially regarding the assignments that required photography skills. I enjoy taking pictures. However, once again, I came up against one of my biggest fears; interviewing people. The Multimedia Development and Editing course required me to not only interview people, but also take pictures of the interviewee and his or her environment. The list of things required of each assignment seemed overwhelming at times, because I did not realize the amount of prep work. 

The expectations I had of this course was to walk away knowing more than what I did from the previous class, and carry that knowledge with me to future courses and projects. There was much to learn in this course, and regardless of the struggle, I learned that it is ok to make mistakes. I began to understand not every project I develop and create may or may not be better or worse than others. It is important to learn from my mistakes and apply them to current and future experiences; recognize the mistakes and figure out a way to change it without being discouraged or defeated. 

On the other hand, the expectations expected of me throughout this course became quite rocky toward the end. Of course, life will always manage to throw those unexpected curve balls; knocking you off kilter, which goes to say that  I am not one to fold while under pressure. However, life decided to place a immense amount of pressure on me, and I folded. The worse part is that it showed this in my grades. The effort I put in both my discussion responses and assignments are always at a 100%; sometimes putting in more than less. I am expected to follow the required guidelines of each assignment, and take in consideration what is being noted during virtual class meetings.  Somehow, I must have lost sight of those expectations. Now, I recognized what I did wrong and why those mistakes happened in the first place. I was not at my best, no matter how much I tried convincing myself otherwise. What’s done, is done. 

The content I felt was most helpful during my learning experience in this course was recognizing that not every assignment is going to turn out perfect. Practice makes perfect, as some may say.  It was helpful knowing that mistakes can be corrected, but it is important to not be oblivious to those mistakes. I also learned how to be consistent during interviews, and to never be afraid to get close to a subject to reveal the true story. This course has prepared me to go above and beyond my comfort zone; do not be afraid of the unfamiliar but rather embrace it. I have many fears to overcome. There is much to accomplish in this program, and I believe it has only just begun. I have encountered numerous rough patches along the way, but I rest assured knowing that I can succeed. 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Research and Investigation Skills Development

My experience as a Full Sail student continues to expand as I learn more and more about the journalism field. My original objective for this class was to gain as much information as possible. However, I must admit, toward the end of this course it became quite challenging. I learned, not only how to prepare for interviews, but I learned how to search for experts and other various resources to help me prepare for my future. Christy Foley, an instructor for the New Media Journalism program at Full Sail University, provided her class with various video tutorials each week to get a better understanding of the journalism field. I learned how to properly utilize hyperlinks throughout my articles as well as how to make an infographic. 

Moving forward, I can apply each piece of information and expand on those ideas. The expectations I had for this course was nowhere near, what the course turned out to be, especially pertaining to my website. I know I still have much to learn on my journey, and this is only the beginning. It is important to understand and remember the important facts that come with this course, the critical moments of knowing what to do and what not to do. Each week I was reassured that it will take time to master becoming a journalist; the joys and struggles of interviewing people on the spot or “hitting the pavement” to get the answers you need and/or want. 

The knowledge I acquired in this course, and others, will help prepare me for what is about to come in my journalistic career. Of course, I still have a long, windy road ahead of me, but I am confident that I can make it. There are still many things I need to learn, remember, and experience, but when that time comes, I will be ready! 

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Legal Aspects of Media

[kawisniewski]

Mastery Journal: Writing for Interactive Media

During the third course, Writing for Interactive Media at Full Sail University, it is clear that there is much to learn about the journalism field. The purpose of this course is to teach both journalism and public relation students how to practice writing in the field. Each assignment prepares students how to properly post articles on social media, and how to format and write advance articles. 

Meredith Cochie, the course director at Full Sail University, provided her students with many helpful resources each week as a guide toward success when in the field.

“As a journalist, it is important to know the formula of interesting and informative writing, and as a public relations specialist, you have to know how to write for the media on behalf of your clients,” says Cochie. 

As a future music journalist, writing advance articles and attending live events will be a major role in news coverage. The type of writing this class requires reflects on the assignments a journalist or public relations specialist will encounter on the job. 

The Writing for Interactive Media course concentrates on necessary formats to prepare all future journalists and public relations specialists. It is crucial to understand, yet experience the many quirks within the journalism field. 

The type of writing practiced in this course will be beneficial in future careers by remembering the formats and various writing skills. Cochie provided an advance article template to show her students the correct format. By referring back to specific assignments and resources, it guarantees accuracy and professionalism. Accuracy and consistency, as a digital communicator, is a key ingredient to a successful career. 

Writing for Interactive Media did meet my expectations. I learned what an advance article is, and I learned how to properly format an advance article. The instructor was extremely helpful. She provides excellent feedback to her students and suggests better ways to improve the material. This particular course has many benefits, especially for those who are pursuing a career in the journalism field. There is much support and effective feedback from both classmates and instructor. 

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful,”    - Joshua J. Marine

[kawisniewski]

After graduating from University of Phoenix with my Bachelor's degree in Journalism/Communications, there two words that described how I felt: excited and nervous. 

Once I enrolled at Full Sail University, my goal became quite clear. I was going to pursue a career as a journalist. I was excited to be in a Master's program; however, at the same time I began to experience different emotions regarding my career of choice. 

I am just about to finish my second course, and I cannot believe the amount of information I retained within the first eight weeks. Full Sail's New Media and Communications course helped me see a different side of social media from a journalists perspective. At the beginning of the course, the class had to define what journalism is and what journalism is not; come to find out, journalism portrays various definitions to different people. 

I was not clear as to what type of journalist I wanted to be, therefore I had some reflecting to do. So, I put my brain to work. As I browsed through the assignments for each week, I realized that I had to brainstorm what my focus as a journalist should be. I had to think about how I was going to portray myself to the world and my target audience. I learned how to setup a personal website. I also created various social media accounts , which required me to write an About Page explaining what my intentions are as a journalist. 

Even though I am at the beginning stages of my program, I still have to make some decisions concerning my career as a journalist. Should I pursue a career as a music journalist, or become a journalist who covers untold stories other journalists will not? Or should I cover both music and untold stories? There are still questions left unanswered, and there are just as many questions left unasked. 

Overall, this course has taught me how to develop my image as a journalist. My original goals and objectives cannot guarantee stability, but it allows me the room I need to be creative with my future decisions. The resources provided throughout these four weeks have been extremely helpful, not to mention my instructors feedback. Each piece of feedback and information I receive gives me that many more opportunities to make the right decision. However, I must remember that things are subject to change over time - nothing is permanent. 

Next week starts a new class, a new journey to my career. I could not be happier!

Until next time ...

[kawisniewski]

Over the years, I have slowly learned that nothing is handed to you.  Success and education is not given to you nor is it accomplishment in a short period of time.  As the image states, "success isn't something that just happens."  However, I do believe that there is more than one way of defining success because success can mean a variety of things.  

Going back to a book I read for my Mastery class at Full Sail University [Robert Greene's Mastery], it is obvious that success does not come easy.  To master something means that it will take time --- you must take certain steps which always leads to [sometimes] taking steps back.  Success and mastery is a long process.  

When I find myself rushing the process to something, getting frustrated, or having the urge to give up I begin to remind myself of something.  The example I always envision relates to when I hear my little brother asking if dinner is ready. Or I remind myself of a time when my family and I are at a restaurant, and my brother becomes impatient while waiting for our food.  My response to him is always this: "This is not McDonalds. Not everything is made within a matter of seconds.  You can't just pop it in the microwave and expect it to be done." 

I have to constantly remind myself that success is not accomplished in a couple days. It takes time, effort, and an extreme amount of patience to succeed at something. Failure is not a sign to simply to give up, it simply means to try that much harder.