Month 12
And here we are. It took 14 months, 1 more than I anticipated, but next week, I graduate with my master’s degree in New Media Journalism.
As I type, I’m wrapping up the final parts of my thesis paper for the program. Looking back, I am absolutely floored not just by how quickly this year rolled on, but how much I accomplished.
I look at this moment, however, with a sense of irony. The first major assignment I did was a graduate paper. And now it’s my last major assignment. APA format is a bit more difficult to write, as until I started at Full Sail, I’ve only written in MLA format. The paper for my first month of classes was the first paper I wrote since undergraduate studies at UCF. But my course director at the time said it himself – writing is messy. And nowhere is that clear but writing stories and graduate papers.
Alas, that’s the business. Journalism is all about writing, and I learned writing good copy can make good video. I’m still proud of my Wounded Warfighter 5k story, and I look forward to building my name from there. I’m also proud of my interview with Steve Barrett and my education on old-school journalism.
In the last year, I reignited my love for journalism. I dabbled into new territories with storytelling. I met people I never expected to meet. I figured out how to use Adobe Creative Suite programs better than I had before.
Most of all, I realized how great a city like Orlando is for covering stories. And even though I may begin my career in another city, as many journalists tend to do, I hope that I get to accomplish my biggest dream – to spend my career doing what I love in the city I love.














