As an uprising senior at Arcadia, things are feeling kinda crazy at the moment. I mean, so many things are changing very soon but at the same time, everything is the same, and will continue to be for a short while. I’ve been thinking a lot about the career I hope to have after college, and honestly, trying to find a way to manifest the wants and dreams I’ve had since I was a kid has been quite the head-scratcher.
For a while now, I’ve been dabbling in media education. Every summer I’ve worked at a media summer program for teens. I’ve helped students execute production projects, interviews, shoots and navigate editing software. It’s been lots of fun, and I’ve met a handful of students who have truly changed my life. I found a purpose in teaching, though I am particularly interested in programming education, or what I’ve been calling, “informal” teaching. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to media educate for after-school/summer programs, workshops, and more! Even though education isn’t exactly my field of study, media education specifically has become a passion through my love of media creation as a whole.
Alongside that, I’ve been able to work on a long-term media curriculum, and it has been more eventful than I ever thought possible! I work with an organization that wants to create a media-based programming curriculum rooted in social justice and community engagement. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been offered a 2-year long contract to help build that with them. From attending educator meetings to working on recruitment fliers, I’ve found myself very fond of the educator world. I hope this love for education will allow me to put my best foot forward when I step into the co-editor-in-chief position in the upcoming school year.
Speaking of next year, I’m not personally excited but at the same time, I very much look forward to going back. Arcadia has been my home away from home, and without going into too much detail, my home life sucks. So I definitely look forward to going back to campus every year. Though with that, I’m going to miss having Arcadia to escape to once I graduate. I’m going to miss the friends I’ve made, and the dorms I’ve lived in, and most importantly, I’m going miss being in college.
Being a college student has been a wild ride. I’ve done the sad sobbing a Freshman does when they miss home. I’ve gone through the comfortability of finding your place as a Sophomore. I’ve felt the love for young adulthood that being a Junior brought me. Now, I’m sitting here and waiting for what senior year will bring. Will I get a happily ever after?
Professionally speaking, I’m grateful to Arcadia for allowing me to pursue journalism despite not having a journalism degree specifically. I’ve been able to explore different mediums I’ve never thought possible due to my multi-media publishing concentration, and it’s been fun gaining production experience while in college. For example, I interned at PBSNewshour my Sophmore year after finding a bulletin board ad in Murphy Hall, and because of that, the next semester I signed a year-long contract with them to work on a gun violence documentary. Through them, I partnered with WHYY due to them being sister stations, and I worked side-by-side with them during the production of the documentary, alongside a handful of other youth journalists.
I can’t begin to describe how collaborating with both media outlets was nothing short of a dream come true, but it meant a lot to be able to create such an impactful piece, especially in current times. Activism work is where my heart is, and that’s also what fuels my love for teaching. I hope to continue working on media activism projects while educating simultaneously, that would be my dream.
However, as my dreams started to take shape, I’ve began to realize that my heart is in two different places. Media education is part of my love for journalism, and I truly believe that community work can be the key to any sort of social change. Showing High School students they have a voice, reminds me that I have one too! We all do. Though creating documentaries has been equally as fun. Working with media outlets on production projects has allowed me to strengthen my overall production skills! Things like editing, filming, equipment set-up, and team collaboration are all becoming easier the more I do it. And man, I’m loving it the more I do it. I just hope I can continue to do both, cause, man, I love both.
Essentially, these are all just the thoughts of an uprising senior scratching his head about what his future will hold. I love the opportunities college has provided me, and I almost don’t know how to conceptualize not being a college student. Nevertheless, I want to make this last year count! No matter what the future holds, at least I kinda know where I’m going.
