MY STORIES:

• Community, stereotypes and culture: Three Hispanics share their stories
• Pride, success and accomplishments: Three Hispanic influencers share their stories
• The sound and taste of Hispanic culture — Utah Hispanic Heritage Parade

MY BLOG:

At the beginning of the semester, I was a little worried when Professor Mangun announced that we would be covering the Hispanic, Latino(a), Latinx community. Since I had no connections towards the Hispanic community in Utah, I knew that it was going to be a difficult task that I had to overcome.

When I started my first story, I expected many people within the community would not be welcoming to interviews. Reaching out and interviewing people was my biggest concern. But that expectation changed as I started to reach out and got more interviews than I expected. By meeting and talking to several people, I was able to not only learn more about the community but also connect with their experiences. I met many people who inspired me and I also made friends through this class.

Another important skill that I learned is going out of my comfort zone and reaching people to get stories for my beat. I was really afraid and worried that people would reject or ignore me but I came to learn that it is OK to get rejected. The refusals for interviews have made me realize that journalists should always be prepared and have a plan B. Along with when I first started conducting interviews, I could not help but feel like an “outsider.” Although I tried my best to relate and make the interviewees comfortable and open up, I was not identifying with them a hundred percent. At first, not being relatable was frustrating but I realized that by embracing being an outsider, I was able to present a more objective point of view. I further learned that I did not have to be an insider to relate with the interviewees because it opened the doors to learning other cultures and views.

All the experiences I had throughout the semester helped my professional development as a journalist. I have gained many skills that are needed to be a professional journalist. I was not only able to get out of my comfort zone but also grow personally by questioning my ethics and credibility. Through my personal growth, I was able to be more comfortable in my own writing and gain confidence. I am really glad that I had the chance to experience real-life journalism. The real-life experience will help as I continue writing in the field of journalism. The skills that I have developed and obtained have prepared myself for when I graduate and start in the field of communication. But most importantly, I was able to learn more about myself and what I am capable of as being a storyteller.

ABOUT ME:

Being from South Korea, Lina is studying communication at the University of Utah. She started to get interested in the field of journalism during her sophomore year of high school. As she got her first experience with being on her high school’s weekly news team, her passion for journalism grew and she decided to learn further about communication.

Starting from the fall of 2016 until now, Lina has been involved in communication internships, worked as a writing center tutor, and more. Through her experiences, she has been able to improve and gain confidence in her own writing. As she approaches her graduation in the summer of 2019, she aspires to pursue her career in journalism as well as public relations and marketing.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists |