MY STORIES:

• Latinxs at work: stereotyping results from a lack of sympathy
• Minorities brighten up the future of science and technology
• You are not crazy: Mental health stigma among Latinx community

MY BLOG:

Recalling the past few months, I have been through multiple challenges that I had been afraid of tackling. One of the biggest challenges was getting out of my comfort zone and making myself feel excited when I talk to new people.

As a non-native English speaker, the language barrier was one of the biggest concerns. I was scared that I might say something inappropriate, which has the potential to hurt someone who takes time for me and share their personal stories with me.

Because of this fear, I couldn’t enjoy from the bottom of my heart the times spending with the interviewees at the beginning. However, as I interviewed multiple persons who were not fluent in English like me, I was really inspired by how strong their words were. They spoke with passion no matter how difficult to speak the non-native language.

Listening to their strong voices, I came to be able to focus more on what I want to tell but not how I tell. Language is a significant tool in communication. But, more importantly, I could realize that I had to be more open to those who talk with me. As I was encouraged by those interviewees, I could find myself excited without feeling any fear when I talked to new people.

I also found difficulty in setting my own viewpoints aside. It was really tough. Since I am in the minority group as the interviewees are, I had resonance with their feelings at some point. I compared their stories with mine, which let me stand at their side. Hence, each time I finalized the drafts, I showed them to a third person so that I could see my stories from the readers’ viewpoints.

Through getting over some challenges, I could learn the basic skills of reporting, such as how to interview and how to write an eye-catching title or lead. I still have so many skills that need to be trained, but at least, I have recognized that I can get a little bit closer to be a professional journalist. I’m sure this experience will help my future self, involving in the communication field.

ABOUT ME:

I am a senior-year student majoring in communication with a journalism emphasis at the University of Utah. Meeting new people and listening to their stories always makes me feel excited and empowered. But, actually becoming a journalist was not on top of my career choices.

I used to dream of becoming an ecologist. Since I grew up around nature and animals in Japan, I have naturally desired to know more about ecology and save it from environmental destruction. I, therefore, started learning biology when I got into Shizuoka University in Japan. As I spent time in the classrooms and outside the campus, I had a lot of opportunities to see new people who inspired me in many ways. Their words showed me another world. I could talk to various researchers as well. Their stories struck me. In a series of these experiences, I came to be more motivated to seek new stories, new people, and new experiences than research. After I completed the bachelor’s degree in biology, I flew to the United States in 2017 to see the whole new world. Now, I desire to be an environment journalist.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• Latinx populations help the US economy to thrive
• Bicultural struggles: Life in Latinx shoes
• Salt Lake City hopes to erase the school-to-prison pipeline

MY BLOG: 

News reporting is a blessing and a curse. A journalist is able to venture into the world and uncover details about subjects that interest them. They learn about politics, personal relationships, the economy, and any other hot topic. They then, however, have to take their gathered information and portray it objectively. Objectivity was difficult for me this semester. Within my first story, I wrote about the positive effects of Latinx immigration. While I know in my heart that Latin American individuals contribute to the prosperity of our country, others still believe them to be lazy, job-stealing crooks and criminals. I had to put emotions aside and show facts rather than opinions, as facts show the truth and cannot be denied. 

Everyone wants their voice to be heard, especially if you already have the platform to share it. I was ultimately able to reel back my emotions because I realized the good that would follow. Giving people interesting stories in which they could draw their own conclusions, learn something, and grow as a person was more important than furthering my own agenda. 

Biases and objectivity were even more difficult to deal with as I began to learn more about the beat. The people within the Latinx community made it a challenge to write without an opinion. I wanted so badly to display the kindness, intelligence, drive, and family-oriented hearts of the men and women I talked to. The country has been given a generally negative view of the Latinx community, so getting out and interacting with amazing people from different countries, economic classes, and mindsets was so eye-opening. The experience led me to realize that everyone should have a shot in the United States. No matter how much hate and disparity is spewed and shown on the news, the goodness in foreign groups outweighs the bad. 

During this experience, I learned to never settle into my comfort zone. While I had previous experience with the Latinx community, with my dad living in Colombia and being married to a Colombian native, I was still forced from my norm. Different cultures and individuals unlike yourself are what keep the mind growing and awake. If we stick solely with people who think, look, and act like ourselves, I believe we are more susceptible to racism, biases, and close-mindedness.

In terms of personal development throughout this semester, I made strides as well. I learned that while the reporting process is not something I am entirely passionate about, going out into the community and talking to others is something that I want to do with my career. I might end up being a target marketer trying to figure out his audience, a public relations specialist trying to relate his client company to the people, or even a politician getting to know the needs of constituents. With any outcome, I would love to stick with this idea of community engagement. I want to make connections and make a difference by giving citizens a voice. 

ABOUT ME: 

Zane Law is an Orange County, California, native. He acquired his passion for writing as he penned fantasy stories throughout his elementary and middle school days. Hoping to strike gold with the next Magic Tree House-esque series, Zane spent recess and lunch honing his craft. Anything from cinema to his midnight dreams inspired him to keep in touch with his creative flow.

While fantasy writing did not fully pan out, Zane stuck with a similar career path. In Spring 2019 he graduated with a B.S. in strategic communication, specializing in public relations and target marketing. Combined with University of Utah knowledge, his creative spark was able to produce a marketing campaign for All Seasons Resort Lodging, plan fundraisers for the ALS Association, pitch ideas to the Downtown SLC Alliance, and now publish multiple stories online. 

Getting inside the mind of consumers, citizens, and readers is something that captivates Zane. Instead of fantasy writing taking him to a world of dragons, warlocks, and dinosaurs, he is able to escape into the life of someone else. Studying spending habits, likes and dislikes, political views, and daily schedules amounts to something of a game for Zane. He is passionate about what he does and will continue his communications journey for many years to come. 

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• Hispanic immigrants are creative and family-inspired
• Kids need more Latinx role models in Utah, and here’s why 
• Community and inclusion in art – Latin social dancing in Utah

MY BLOG: 

One of the things I have enjoyed the most were the opportunities that allowed me to meet new people in the community and hear their stories. I would have never met them or heard their stories if it weren’t for this opportunity. I enjoyed learning more about food, arts, and education in the Latino community by speaking with these influential people.

There are a few ways that I feel like I failed at being a good journalist. By the end of the semester, however, I saw these failures as chances to grow and learn. I have learned to be open, more assertive, and confident when approaching people in different fields of communication, which is a necessary skill for any professional storyteller.

I love to write and tell stories. However, I have learned that my calling is visual storytelling. I am so thankful for the skills that I have learned in this class that will help me pursue that calling. Gathering information, along with communication and interview skills, will be helpful as I pursue a documentary film career and continue as a full-time photographer and videographer in the Salt Lake area.

Although I do not plan to be a news writer or journalist, I am thankful for the writing opportunities that Voices of Utah has given me. I feel like I have new eyes to see how news writing is a valuable skill and have grown to have a deeper appreciation for this field of writing. I was challenged to be open to different writing skills while keeping my style and voice. Writing for Voices of Utah has taught me how these two things, new methods, and personal style, actually thrive together.

After graduation, I hope to continue working on the craft of writing through a personal blog and by writing for a nonprofit.

ABOUT ME:

Kristen Law is graduating from the University of Utah in May 2019 with a BA in Communication and a minor in Documentary Film Studies. She loves telling stories through different media outlets, and, although she loves to write, her greatest passion is to capture moments and tell stories through videography and photography. In her spare time when she is not writing or taking photos, she is a ballet teacher, a dedicated runner, and an adventurer at heart. She loves traveling, hiking, backpacking, and being outdoors, mostly because she loves photographing beautiful landscapes and places.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• Finding success marketing in the Hispanic segment: Google Translate is not enough
• Is Latinx the new norm? Navigating the landscape of inclusive speech in 2019
• Utah may be next to experience a physician crisis

MY BLOG:

Expectations

In all honesty, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the beat that we were assigned this year. It was outside my realm of experience and finding a story to tell that would resonate seemed in and of itself to be a somewhat daunting task.

My initial expectation was that there would be a lot of low-hanging fruit, so to speak. That is, a lot of obvious commentary and discussion on the headline-worthy topics that dominate the media today. What I found, though, was quite the opposite.

The beat gave me the opportunity to think about life from a completely different lens and step into the shoes of a subculture that I understand well, but can’t fully empathize with considering my background.

I was never under the impression that the label Hispanic meant that one was grouped into a cohort of intensely similar values or beliefs, but working on the beat really highlighted the philosophical and practical points of diversity within the community. A recurring theme of my interviews was that there’s a constant assumption of homogeneity that can often be invalidating in its own right.

Career Understanding

From a career standpoint, I cemented my belief that journalism is no longer a serious professional pursuit as it once was for me. While it had nothing to do with the beat itself, what I once found invigorating and interesting about the profession became more monotonous than anything.

While I understand that the element of school adds an extra layer to unpack in this conversation, it’s a realization I’ve been coming to for some time, especially in the past several years that I’ve been diving further into marketing.

I love breaking rules with my content and more importantly I love analysis and opinion; beat reporting has a lot less flexibility in these areas. That’s for good reason of course, but I just don’t find that kind of writing enjoyable the way I used to.

Social Awareness

This beat gave me an interesting political perspective. It’s pretty commonly understood at this point that we are living in a very divisive political climate. It would be ignorant to assume this isn’t a struggle in many areas of the world, but still, its recent exacerbation makes it easier to see the problem as uniquely American, or most prevalent within our majority culture.

Especially when digging into things like the term Latinx, I started to see a lot of that same division among American subcultures, as well as internationally. It’s easy to fall into the trap where, because you’re focusing on a single group or school of thought, you start to think one-dimensionally about it. Working on this beat kicked me out of that mentality quite a bit.

ABOUT ME:

Writing has always been at the center of my professional and personal pursuits (as well as a stellar outlet for my sarcastic proclivities). While it was limited to a long-standing creative interest in my earlier years, I found ways to slowly start integrating my passion into a variety of endeavors; I dipped my toes into music journalism, political op-eds, and eventually marketing content and copywriting.

Eventually, the lattermost undertaking stuck and I found myself diving into the digital marketing realm as a full-time career. Further, I ended up knee deep in the beauty industry twice in a row, and haven’t gone back since.

I am soon to be graduating with a Communication B.S. at the University of Utah (the obvious extension of my poli-sci A.S.) and look forward to never cranking out an essay at the 11th hour ever again.

In my personal life, I devote insane amounts of time to travel and music. I’m in an independent band from Utah called Larusso that tours semi-regularly around the western United States, and am constantly second-guessing my song mixes during production.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES: 

• Making a difference: The Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Why Latinx representation in leadership roles is important for the success of Latinx children
• The cultural significance of soccer in the Latinx community

MY BLOG: 

My initial expectations of my beat were that it was going to be difficult to find stories that would match up to the beat. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to get interesting stories because honestly I was kind of blind to the subject. My expectations definitely changed throughout the semester. By the time we had to pitch our story ideas for outside story three, I had numerous story ideas to choose from. It seemed that after our first guest speaker came to our class and spoke, the story ideas came more easily and made it so I could pick an interesting story that I was excited to write about.

My beat has taught me so much, mainly that the Latinx community is full of hard-working, interesting people who really try to make a difference in their community. Whether it is through politics, sports, or just by working hard, the Hispanic/Latino (a) (x) beat is full of interesting stories and people.

A few epiphanies that I have had about a career in journalism is that it is not easy, and you really have to work to make your story a readable interesting story. Writing has always come easy to me, so when I was struggling with my initial story I was kind of taken aback, but through perseverance and applying feedback that I received, my stories improved. I was sort of surprised by how persistent you have to be with certain sources. There were a few sources whom I had to reach out to multiple times to get a quote from. And at times it was more work to try to get them as a source. But being persistent helped in the end and I was able to get some solid quotes. I also learned that I can persevere through tough times and tough stories. This class has actually made me work my tail off to achieve the success that I want, and in doing so it showed me that even when times are tough and it seems that your story is going nowhere, to stick with it and in the end it will be worth it.

Beat reporting has helped my professional development by making me think outside the box. In most of my journalism classes up to this point, I chose stories that appealed to me and I didn’t really care if it appealed to other people. Our beat made it so I couldn’t just have my go-to stories. Rather, it made me think of ideas that I would have never thought of otherwise. This will help me as I move forward in my career and as a writer. The most difficult part of being a professional communicator is trying to give the person you are writing about a proper voice that represents them fully. At times it is nerve-racking, but as I got to my third story and was interviewing my sources, I felt extremely confident in giving them a voice that I feel they would appreciate.

ABOUT ME: 

Tyson Aldridge is a multimedia journalist with aspirations to be a radio journalist. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Tyson has always had a passion for storytelling. Whether it was captivating his family by telling them made-up stories at the dinner table, or sharing sports news that he heard on ESPN, he has always loved getting people’s attention through storytelling.

In 2015, Tyson started at the University of Utah with a vision of making it into the radio industry one day. He majored in communication with an emphasis in journalism, and his radio passion grew even deeper after taking a radio journalism class.

Recently, Tyson landed in internship with ESPN 700 in downtown Salt Lake City, for the “Gunther and Ben” show on weekday afternoons. He hopes that this internship turns into a full-time position to get his foot in the door of the radio industry.

Tyson graduated from the University of Utah in May 2019, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

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 | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• DREAMers at the U: One step to graduation
• What you think about when you think about Latin food
• Am I Latinx? Or am I Black? What if I’m both?

MY BLOG: 

I am writer, that much is a given to someone like myself. I speculate, make suggestions, theorize and begin the deep excavation for stories around me. I am a conversationalist, that much is a given to anyone who talks to me. I love bringing new ideas to the table, debating, agreeing with another. I am a journalist, that much is a given, to someone who has gone through this course and came out of it as a stronger, independent writer.

I walked into class with no expectations. I was an open book, you could say. I knew that there were some political tensions within the Latinx community in the U.S but I felt this wasn’t something I should cover. There was sense of deeper understanding of the community that needed to be heard of. But I struggled to find a topic to cover initially, because I was so unfamiliar with the dynamics of the different communities in this country.

My first story is about the stigma of immigration with the Latinx community. It was something I’ve never heard or read about before, and it prompted to look further into it. When I posted the story on my Twitter, a lot of people had retweeted and liked the story. One person had commented that it was a great piece on an important topic. This propelled me to pursue writing stories of unheard voices or dispelling misconceptions about this particular group of people.

For my second story, I knew I wanted to write an article on culture. And I thought food would be a good way to start a conversation on the diversity of Latin American countries. It also helped me connect with my sources more as we shared food, ideas, and pleasant exchanges of what reminds us of home. There wasn’t a disconnect and tension that I felt from my first story, but more of a mutual understanding with my sources by our love for food. As a Filipino, I found comfort in recognizing the similarities of our culture, like I was hearing the experiences of some extended family of mine.

My final story draws on the experiences of Afro-Latinas. It’s a more interpersonal story that talks about social issues within the Latinx community such as colorism and struggling to identify with either communities in the U.S. One of my sources had thanked me for doing a story on this because she felt it was important that people know about this. It really got me thinking, “my work has impact.” Actual tangible impact that possibly affect real-life people. I was getting to the bottom of something here, but the more I researched, the more I felt I was just scratching the surface of this community. My words aren’t taken in face-value as another student assignment, but a life-lesson for myself and my readers too.

My journey through this course has been a thorough learning experience, not just in my experience as a journalist, but also social issues that needed to be addressed. There were countless struggles I went through, scurrying for sources to interview, or scheduling them and having it postponed till my due date. It taught me to value time, and consider being flexible and resourceful.

More than anything, this course has taught me a great deal about a distant but familiar community. I enjoyed bouncing ideas off with my colleagues, sharing, and critiquing their work. Their work collects real-life problems and participates in this continuous conversation on the Latinx community.

Not only did this class leave me with invaluable skills in the world of news, journalists, editors and the press. It also connected me to different people, sparked a new sense of social justice, and recultivated my love for writing. I am a writer, that much is a given.

ABOUT ME:

I had my first love at 8 years old, when I read a book called “The Book of Everything.” It’s the story of Thomas, a boy much like myself, who saw all things good and bad, but never said anything about it. Instead he wrote it down. And in that book there’s a quote that Thomas always used to say — “When I grow up, I am going to be happy.” And I still hope for it to this day.  

As a University of Utah graduate, I was able to explore my interests and learn holistically about many things from fake news to the cultural language of yoga. As this chapter of my life closes, what I hope for in the next few years in my career is cultivation. I believe there is much room for me to grow in all aspects, from my writing and content creation to communication and leadership skills. Personally, I hope to learn more about my own culture and ethnic identity of both India and the Philippines. Perhaps, this chapter of education is never its own end, but a means to a good future.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• Tomsik helping West Valley community one taco at a time
• The can of beans in your pantry could save a family
• Suicide isn’t a “one-size-fits-all”

MY BLOG:

Going into journalism, I pictured myself working in a news room reporting news for a major news network like CNN or even hosting on Good Morning America. However, that’s not where my life has taken me. I’ve found myself publishing stories online instead of on air, and working freelance helping companies boost their social media marketing. Needless to say, I have moved away from journalism.

That being said, I realized that I still love writing. Wherever my career takes me, I want to continue writing, regardless what it is for. As I start my new career at a brand new company, I’m excited to move forward and implement my writing skills in creative ways at my new job. Writing will always be a part of me, and I will always enjoy sharing stories.

During this semester, I have realized that I knew nothing about the Latinex community in Utah. I had heard discussions about West Valley and the situation that it was in, but never about what was actually happening. This beat certainly opened my eyes in that particular community and shed some light as to what is going on.

While poverty was a major issue in West Valley City, I quickly realized that that wasn’t the only issue in the city. The families there were sharing single bedrooms with eight people and kids had to quit pursuing their dreams to help their families instead. What really pulled at my heart strings was the fact that this was happening right next door.

It’s easy to sit in my parent’s home and overlook the Valley. Our worries on a day-to-day basis consist of what dish we’re having for dinner, what we’re watching on TV that night, and what the biggest scandal was in each of our individual lives. Not once did we question where our food was coming from, if we had the money to pay for electricity, or how lucky we were to have jobs in the first place.

The entire beat has been extremely humbling and I am grateful that I had this opportunity to learn more about the community next door.

Working on this beat opened my eyes to the status of West Valley City. It truly shocked me when I realized that these families living in poverty are going unnoticed. There is little to no help in the community from the state, besides volunteer food drives. This frustrated me immensely.

It opened my eyes also to what local news stations were reporting. Here I was sitting in house that barely had food for dinner while the news reported events that seemed so minuscule in comparison.

It made me angry.

I want to go forward in my career and account for these things. I want to work hard to make sure there is recognition in areas that need recognition. That there is help for people who need help. And that there are a multitude of resources available free of cost for people who need resources, but cannot afford it.

This beat has truly reshaped my views and my beliefs and has lit a fire for a passion to do something.

ABOUT ME:

Customer Relations Specialist focused on genuine, trustworthy, and helpful experiences. Experienced Floor Lead with a demonstrated history of working in the cosmetics and retail industry. Skilled with social media analytics, customer service, camera operations, directing, producing, and editing. Strong support professional with a Bachelor’s degree focused in Communication and Media Studies from University of Utah.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES: 

• Hispanic belief system that the family is the heart and focus of life
• Latinos In Action members provide aid to classmates with disabilities
• Latinos In Action member setting an example and breaking stereotypes

MY BLOG:

For as long as I can remember I’ve always had a special connection to the news. I grew up in a home where local and national happenings were a common topic of conversation. In the sixth grade, I participated in a program called “Biztown,” created for students to help familiarize themselves with the professional workforce. In preparation, we had to fill out a questionnaire explaining what we liked doing, our strengths, weaknesses, etc.

At the age of 12, most of my friends wanted to be professional dancers, accountants like their fathers or interior designers, all I wanted to do was talk about the news. I finally made the connection that I could make news my career and I’ve been working at it ever since.

My mother always said, “If you have a job you love you never work a day in your life.” I love being a journalist. It’s something I am passionate about and something that challenges me every day.

But, when Professor Mangun first announced that Latinx and Hispanic culture and community would be the Voices of Utah beat, I was intimidated. However, the beat made me reach outside my comfort zone and look beyond my scope of knowledge and report something I knew nothing about.

Through the beat reporting, I learned a lot about myself as a journalist. My expectations changed as I learned I could report on anything if I genuinely dedicated myself to my topic. I am happy with the content I have produced and want to remember that pushing myself to explore hard topics will help me become better versed.

ABOUT ME: 

University of Utah Communications and Journalism student graduating in May. Working as an assignment desk editor and web producer at ABC4 News Utah. Lover of news writing and dedicated news junkie. After graduation, I plan on staying at ABC4 and working towards my goal of becoming a multi media journalist.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »

MY STORIES:

• Multilingual churches of Utah: Spanish-language growth in the LDS community
• Centro de la Familia, promoting healthy and engaged communities
• Enhancing Utah’s mental health awareness among Latino(x) community

MY BLOG:

When I first learned we would be covering the Hispanic community here in Utah, my mind immediately started racing. I thought of immigration instantly. Why, though? I wanted to explore this question deeper and I definitely did. What I realized throughout the semester, and by writing more stories, was I didn’t want to focus on things like immigration or political issues that we hear about all the time in the news. I started learning about the Hispanic community and talking to people and realized all the good that the Hispanic community brings to Utah. I started researching and noticed all of the nonprofit organizations there are for Latinos. Covering this beat helped open my mind and not think so negatively.

I remember Alex Guzman, president and CEO of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, saying to us in his speech, “There is so much good that we bring as the Hispanic community, explore that and study that.” Reflecting on my work this semester, I feel like I learned so much. I learned not only about the Hispanic community in Utah but also about myself. I learned how narrow-minded I was, and stuck in the ways of the world — stuck in politics. It’s so easy to watch the news and see all of the negativity surrounding the Hispanic community and only communicate about that. Really there is so much good their community brings to the states, Utah in particular. I hate to admit all of this but I am so glad that my way of thinking has changed and that I had the opportunity to cover this beat this semester. I would say the most difficult part of this whole experience has been interviewing. It’s intimidating being a student and going out into the real world and having to talk to people. Overall, it made me a stronger communicator and a better reporter and most importantly a better person with more insight.

ABOUT ME:

Brianna Winn is a student journalist with dreams of becoming a sideline reporter at ESPN or CBS. Brianna grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and moved to Salt Lake City by herself at the age of 18 to gain new life experiences. She became interested in broadcast journalism after seeing Tracy Wolfson, a CBS sideline reporter on the television.

While watching Wolfson talk to athletes, it struck a fire in Brianna. Ever since she has had a passion to work in the sports industry. She has been at the University of Utah studying mass communication. She recently obtained an internship through Utah’s athletic department where she helps live-stream collegiate level sports, while also gaining knowledge in the world of editing. She hopes to gain knowledge behind the camera in order to work her way in front of the camera.

Brianna grew up around sports, whether that was playing them or watching them with her uncles. She loves meeting and talking to people and has an outgoing personality. This drew her to communication, and journalism in particular. Brianna will graduate from the University of Utah in the Fall of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication.

Filed under: Hispanics & Latinos(as), Student-Journalists | Leave a comment »