MY STORIES: 

• Residents of Salt Lake’s west side say new dog park will benefit all
• Derby girl proves being Deaf won’t slow her down
• Utah’s old Greek Town is about to start something new

MY BLOG:

When I signed up for Voices of Utah, I was so excited to see what our beat would be for the semester. Friends who took the class in previous semesters said how fun it was to write about a certain group of Utahns. They also said how much their writing had progressed throughout the semester. On the first day of class, I was excited to learn that my beat was the west side of Salt Lake City. Not knowing much about the area, I was interested to learn more but scared that it might be difficult. Now, nearing the end of the semester, I have had so much fun navigating the area and finding unique places to visit and people to talk with. For some reason, I thought it was going to be a drastic difference on the west side. There are differences, but for the most part, we are the same. The greatest thing I learned from this beat was to not expect people to live a certain way. Even though many negative things are going on in the beat area, most people were positive and wanted to tell stories about the improvement of their cities and their neighborhoods.

This class helped me realize how much I miss writing. I haven’t written in a journalistic way for quite a while because I have been focusing on design courses for the last year and a half. This class made me see how much I enjoy talking to people about their life and learning about others. It made me see how fun it was to dive into a story and to become more knowledgeable about the world around me. One big thing that I learned about myself was that I not only love to write but I also love to listen. I have never really liked interviewing others in the past, but this semester has been an absolute blast. I don’t think I have ever bonded with other interviewees like I have for this beat. The west side of Salt Lake City offers the most interesting people who have such unique and diverse lives.

I plan to continue my adventure around the west side. It is so close to where I live, but I never really went there. The west side has many hidden gems that will take your breath away. This class has made me want to explore other areas of town that I don’t visit often to experience this feeling again. Taking a walk or a drive can show you everything you are missing. One of my favorite places I discovered on the west side was Ruby Snap, a bakery. Supposedly this is a huge Utah company, but I had never heard of it. I popped in one day after an interview and they have the most delicious cookies. I go there very often now. It is so rewarding to find a community filled with great places and people. Exploring more of the west side will be on my to-do list for the summer.

ABOUT ME:

Applying for the University of Utah, I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. I decided to try out the Communication degree because it was so broad and I would have the opportunity to connect it to anything. Once I started taking classes, I was able to write with more passion that I ever had before. I never knew that I would enjoy being so creative and open with my writing.

Focusing on journalism for my first two years at the U, I took beginner and intermediate classes where I was able to get to know my peers and professors. Once I hit my third year, everything changed. I had a sudden passion for learning graphic design. I loved being creative but I wasn’t good enough to draw on paper. This is where computer graphics came in handy.  I took classes online to help me with my knowledge in Adobe. I fell in love with designing. Being knowledgable on this subject helped me land my current job in fashion marketing for a local clothing store, where I handle all graphics and social media for the company.

Halfway into my third year, I decided to finally take action for my love of sports. I applied to be a sports marketing intern for the University of Utah Athletics Department. After interviewing, I was immediately put onto the team of hard-working interns. Once I understood how everything worked, I wished that I had started the sports internship earlier in my school career. Being involved with the sporting events and being able to be close with the sporting teams was great. It helped me see what I could possibly do for a job in the future with sports.

After I graduate in Spring 2020, I plan on starting my own fashion company that is already in the works. I’m very excited to see where my degree in Communication will take me, because after all, it has endless possibilities and I am ready to take on those challenges.

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