MY STORIES:

• New owners bring fresh ideas to Tosh’s Ramen in Holliday
• The National JACL Credit Union and the importance of the JACL

MY BLOG:

If I have learned anything from this past semester, it is that “the” Asian American community is much more present in Utah than I knew. Now that I have written my stories, I see ideas for new ones surrounding “the” community everywhere I look. Because of Voices of Utah, I will keep a closer eye on things surrounding “the” community in Utah, whether that be festivals, restaurants, legislature, etc.

Throughout my experience, I learned more about “the” Asian American community than I ever thought I would. Writing my stories has helped me realize that Utah is full of Asian communities and Asian culture that I, as a white American, an outsider, can never fully understand. That does not mean that I cannot learn from them though.

I have learned so much, particularly, from the individuals I was able to interview. Interviews are something that I have a love-hate relationship with. I would call myself introverted, yet interviewing someone can be so interesting. Learning about somebody’s story or their thoughts and feelings on a particular subject is truly a valuable experience and something that I love so much about being a journalist.

Talking with and getting to know my sources was one of the best parts of Voices of Utah. It was so great. Maxwell and Annie from Tosh’s Ramen in Holliday were so kind and hospitable to me. I was able to coordinate with them when I was coming to their restaurant and they made sure to treat my friends and me with kindness. They checked in with us periodically throughout our meal and made sure that everything was perfect for us.

Everyone at the National JACL Credit Union was incredibly helpful while I was developing my story. They were quick to respond when I reached out and always gave super helpful answers. Overall, I don’t think I could have had better sources.

ABOUT ME:

Devin Oldroyd is a sophomore at the University of Utah. He is pursuing a double major in Communication with an emphasis in Journalism and Gender Studies. He expects to graduate in May 2024.

Oldroyd has a passion for journalism that he discovered in high school when he wrote for his school’s newspaper. He wrote for The Buffalog for three out of his four high school years. During this time, he held the position of both the managing editor and the in-depth page editor.

This eventually led to Oldroyd joining the staff of the University of Utah’s campus newspaper, The Daily Utah Chronicle as a news writer. During his time at The Chronicle, he has published over 30 articles ranging from features to breaking news stories.

Currently, Oldroyd works as a digital content producer with KSL Newsradio. At KSL Oldroyd writes web stories, maintains the KSL Newsradio app and works with the social media accounts sharing stories and promoting the brand. Oldroyd has learned so much from his time spent in the newsroom at KSL and is excited for what the future holds.

Oldroyd finds journalism to be challenging, but very rewarding. He enjoys seeing his work published and is so happy to be able to participate in the final year of Voices of Utah with Professor Mangun.

In his free time, Oldroyd enjoys theater, reading, writing, hiking, and spending time with his friends and family.

Filed under: Asian American, Blogs & Bios, Student-Journalists |