This week has been such a memorable and eye opening experience.  I’ve learned so many things that I will carry with me throughout my career, but a few of my favorites are the importance of project management, working together and, my favorite, subjectivity.

I was brought to tears on two occasions during this project. The first was listening to how generous the women of HEART Homeschooling were. Second when I got to witness the strength of the  families that had been displaced by Hurricane Harvey.  

Many times in journalism you are taught to be objective, but I don’t see it that way .When reporting on subject matters that affect people’s lives so drastically, it was hard for my humanity not to seep through. In my opinion, you won’t be able to truly understand your interviewee if you can’t relate to them in some capacity.

Our audio tech Patrice would  step in from time to time and ask a background question for clarity ,which only made my piece better in the end . Teamwork definitely made the dream work for this project .There were times when  I knew the answer I wanted but I couldn’t seem to find the words. My mentor Monica Rhor would step in and know just what to say to get the heartfelt answer I needed.I could not have done this without a strong team working alongside me .

I’ve learned that sometimes it’s okay to let your humanity shine through. I can honestly say I don’t believe my non-narrated piece would be as touching as it is if I wasn’t empathetic during my interview.

Although this was a fairly short internship, I learned more than I have in semesters of editing classes. I am so grateful to be in this space around such positive people and I will never forget the time spent and knowledge gained.