Hello and happy Saturday!
Yesterday marked my third day of classes (well, technically second, since I don't have any on Fridays!), and I am excited to say that my senior year at WVU is off to a great start! And while I'm already hard at work writing news, it would be a lie if I said that I did not miss my internship from this summer.
In case you've been living under a rock and haven't been keeping up, I'll give you the short version: This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Pittsburgh Magazine, which is exactly how it sounds: everything and anything Pittsburgh. Specifically, I was a weddings intern, and I got to write all about the cool weddings Pittsburgh brides told us about! Four of my written pieces made it into the fall issue, and I had a few other crowning moments as well; like meeting my new BFF Bailey, going to fun events, and getting an inside look at the magazine industry, one that I am craving breaking into.
Now that I'm back to the grind at school, the reality is hitting me that I am a SENIOR. Seriously, I feel like I was only a senior in HIGH SCHOOL just yesterday! As I've grown as a journalist, I want to thank all of you reading this currently. I started this little blog just to document my life and my interests after a trip to NYC, networking with the magazine industry's biggest and brightest. It was a piece of advice that they had all offered me. Although I have no intention on making this blog huge, it was an excellent way to perfect my writing and to build my portfolio. I showcased some initiative by starting this up, but there is no way I would have continued writing if it weren't for my friends and family reading! <3
That being said, a few weeks ago meant that I have been blogging for a full YEAR! That's so crazy to me; it seems like it's actually been longer! So much has changed since then, and it's even changed me a bit. I've definitely become a better writer, a better editor, a more consistent blogger (writing about ACTUAL things!), and a more well-rounded journalist, and that was my goal all along.
So, what did I learn from this past year?
There is always going to be someone bigger and better, and that's okay. For a few weeks at first, it was my driving force, but I quickly came to realize that that was not who I wanted to be. I don't want to become a blogger as the years progress. I am a JOURNALIST. I'm writing things that the world needs (or sometimes wants) to know. I literally cannot wait for another year to pass, because my biggest dream is to sit at a news desk under a tight deadline, in a plain, yet bold, dress, getting ready to air the 11 o'clock news. Or, creating digital content for a magazine's website under that same tight deadline. Or even producing the holiday videos for the Pittsburgh Penguins (a girl can dream, right?)!
I love web design. Seriously. Until last summer when I made this little website, I had no idea how analytics worked, what SEO was, or how to make a website eye-catching for both desktop and mobile. But now, it's so cool to watch from the backend. Never did I think I would consider fixing up websites, but maybe one day...
Watching my online resume grow and grow was so exciting. Transferring from pre-vet to journalism my sophomore year of college meant that I felt behind. And as sophomore year progressed, I still felt that my resume was severely lacking (and it was). But as I created more and more and as I wrote for organizations and internships, I watched my resume grow. Every time something is published, I race to my computer to update the list, and then just sit and stare in awe for a few minutes.
In the beginning, I was so afraid that I would never see anything of worthy content on my resume.
(Also, special special SPECIAL shoutout to Pittsburgh Magazine and the DA for really filling it up! I've learned so much from yinz and there will always be a special place in my heart for you!)
I still have no idea what I want to do with everything I've learned. But I'm sure I'll figure it out soon (hopefully).
But with that being said, here's to another year of blogging and growing!
Thank you all so much for reading!
xoxo, Madison