2012 NABJ Midwest Journalism Summit - Northwestern University
“Be kind, be honest, be fierce.”
These are words that stuck out to me throughout the rest of my weekend at Marquette University after attending the Midwest Journalism Summit at Northwestern University on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Words cannot describe the amount of support and wisdom that I gained over the few hours I was at the event. Not only did I network with a few old and new faces that I remembered meeting at the annual convention in August, but I also felt like I got to bond with some students from MU that I have yet to mingle (and giggle) with during my time in undergrad.
When our NABJ Chapter President Marissa Evans called me two weeks ago to inquire my attendance to the summit, my first thought was, “Heck yeah I want to go…I’m a senior and I need to network in a more intimate NABJ environment before attending my next convention…sign me up!” Not to mention, I would have the day off from work and instead wake up at 6:30am. Awesome. I am satisfied with the workshops I signed up for, especially the Entertainment and Post-Undergrad Career info session—where I learned that having a degree in PR can and will allow me to work toward a career in publication writing, and that I might not make as high of a salary fresh out of college as I anticipated—I’m not mad. The duration of each session was great, however, I wish that the Design workshop was longer and I would like to become even more familiar with InDesign and the iPad: I had no idea that there were so many apps that will benefit me and the start of my career.
Obviously lunch was an important part of the day, and when I say that I meanI felt like the “yellow” group really bonded. Who knew that I would run into two of my high school classmates or that the basis of our lunch group’s discussion would result in a showing of the highly talked (and tweeted) about viral SGRho probate video from Rhodes College? It honestly felt good to get a nice laugh in and listen to everyone talk about their universities and plans after graduation, while munching on the best pinwheel sandwiches I’ve ever had, and Arnie Palmer iced tea.
As for my bonding with fellow MU students, I am so proud of the way we represented our university’s chapter, and the sincerity that it entailed. It is always a good feeling to hear Mr. and Mrs. Lowe compliment our chapter on our professionalism and dedication to NABJ-Marquette. I can honestly say that I am happy to have another family at MU that supports journalism and communication as much as we do. On that note, I am disappointed about not attending this year’s convention in New Orleans, however I am confident that the chosen site for 2013 will be just as colorful.
To conclude my experience and inner thoughts, I am blessed to have been able to attend this year’s summit and I would like to personally thank Dean Lori Bergen for giving us the opportunity to travel to Northwestern, positively represent our school, and for allowing me to walk away with an even better attitude than I had when I first boarded the bus. The sincere smiles and interest that students had in one another made my heart smile, and listening to the workshop instructors and NW students speak on different topics made me realize that I am not alone in my concerns and fears about walking into the real world.
Keynote speaker Adrienne Samuels-Gibbs’ story inspired me to continue to focus on what is important right now, and to leave the rest to God. Too often do young people (myself included) worry about what the future will bring, but the truth is: what I put my energy into now is a highlight of how I will be rewarded in the future. As Susan Mango-Curtis stated in the Design workshop, “the future IS now.” Whether referencing technology, education, or simply my own battles, what truly matters is that we fight for what we believe in, maintain stability, and be willing to put in work. Also, don’t be afraid to congratulate your fellow (Black) colleagues every once in a while—there is so little support for our demographic to succeed in the field of communication as is. So share a business card or e-mail that girl you met in this weekend that is interested in interning for a company that you enjoyed working at last summer, and be sincere. You never know who has been watching you, or when you might need a question answered, so like Spike Lee says, do the right thing and perfect your craft.
