Scholarship Essay

April 29, 2009 - 12:45 PM

Higher education wasn't always part of my plans. When I flunked out of high school as a meth addict, my potential seemed obsolete. Now, four years later, I am thriving in recovery, earning exceptional grades, and doing all that I can to prepare for a fulfilling career in journalism.

The School of Journalism and Communication has given me a structured environment with a plethora of extra-curricular opportunities with which I can learn to lead a productive and successful professional life. For two years, I have been taking advantage of and helping to further the possibilities available through this reputable institution.

This year, I served as the Teacher's Aide in the Journalism Transfer Seminar, promoted by the university's First-Year Programs. After having taken the class as a first-year sophomore last winter, I knew that the class opened invaluable doors for transfer students who wanted to take the curriculum seriously. From interaction with faculty to making life-long friends, this class made my life as a journalism student all the more fulfilling.

So, I took an opportunity to give back when it was offered to me. I found the experience more rewarding than anything else I have done in the journalism field. As a grammar-fiend, I was able to help the new transfer students find their way through the difficult Grammar for Journalists course. I held study sessions before all of the quizzes and tests and made myself available for one-on-one tutoring sessions. At the end of the terms (both fall and winter), the students wouldn't let me hear the end of their appreciation. It was awe-inspiring to see them become invested in the curriculum at the School of Journalism and Communication the way my fellow transfer seminar students and I did.

Now that the seminars are over for this year, I have continued to assist the students from the seminars as they trudge through the ominous Information Gathering course-assuring them that they have the tools to get the approximately 100-page job done.

Because of this experience, I have decided to look toward a graduate degree in journalism. With this, I hope to become a journalism professor just like all of those whom I have come to know and adore. During the seminars, we the students have an opportunity to listen to the professors discuss the things that they are most passionate about. Whether it is advertising or reporting about music, the professors' convictions inspire the students to make journalism a lifestyle rather than just something that pays the bills.

After having worked and interned for newspapers, magazines, television programs, and public relations companies, I know that having this degree will mean more to me than anything else in the world. Journalism is, in essence, life. It is the world around us. Our society is on its cell phones, the internet, and social media at all times. Thus, having this education is invaluable because I will never be at a loss for tools and concepts as I move forward as a journalist.