Something that most people don’t know about me is that I wasn’t always a journalism student. In fact, I spent my entire freshman year at Sacred Heart pursuing a career in biology.
I remember sitting in my Seton Hall dorm losing sleep over something I couldn’t put my finger on. I was unhappy, mentally burnt out, and felt so out of place. What was the issue? I had a great support system and was at a great school, so there really wasn’t anything to complain about.
I started to notice my lack of enthusiasm to attend my classes, and my grades started to drop. What I was learning in class wasn’t something I loved anymore. As the year went on, my hopes and dreams of becoming a doctor slowly started to fade. Still, I didn’t know why.
Then, there was one late night towards the end of the year where I was journaling like I always did. My journal was an escape for me, and writing was always something that brought me peace and happiness.
Then, a light bulb went off in my head. I absolutely loved writing and spent a lot of my free time doing it. It never felt like a chore and was something I looked forward to doing after a long day of studying topics that no longer interested me.
By this time it was late April. Finals week was approaching and I began to think of making the switch. However, I was beyond afraid of disappointing those around me who knew that being a doctor had been my life-long dream. What would they say? Would they understand? Being a first-generation American, all I ever wanted to do was make my parents proud. I was filled with hesitation, but I knew change had to happen in order for me to be happy again.
I wanted to make sure I could still enter a career where I would be able to help others, as that was extremely important to me. I quickly learned about broadcast journalism and becoming a news reporter. I started doing some research and knew that this was what I was meant to do, as it would give me the opportunity to combine writing and public speaking, both of which I loved to do.
As soon as I finished my last final, I walked out of the Schine Auditorium and emailed my advisor to make the switch. This was terrifying, and I was afraid I was extremely behind after missing an entire year of communications classes. To my surprise, I was told it was the perfect time to switch and that I barely had any catching up to do. That’s when I knew I had made the right choice.
Fast forward to now, I am two weeks from graduating from the School of Communication, Media & the Arts with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. I am the Senior Producer of The Pulse, Managing Editor of The Spectrum, and just completed a full year internship at NBC News in the Consumer Investigative Unit. I am an award-winning Journalist in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists, and have accepted a full time offer at News12 working towards my career of being an on-air Investigative Reporter, giving back to the community and seeking justice for stories that matter most.
If you take one thing from this story, let it be that you don’t owe anyone anything, and to never let your fear of change cost you your happiness. To Sacred Heart University and SCMA, thank you for giving me an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
