Graduation

The feeling in the pit of my stomach is not unlike the one I had when I graduated from college. It's strange to compare eight days with four and a half years, but very fitting. We have learned lessons and tools that will help us with what's ahead. We have built contacts and lasting relationships. We’ve spent long nights glued to a computer screen and gained 15 pounds eating at the cafeteria.

I feel as if we're ready to take on the world. I could have gone into an internship without being part of the Chips Quinn Scholars program and still have done fairly well, but nothing compares to the knowledge we have gained here and how much more we can do with it. Nashville, you will be missed.

Chipsters ‘armed and ready’

As I make my transition to a new town, unfamiliar newsroom and an uncharted beat, I am now loaded with golden nuggets on how to approach my assignment.

Developing story ideas cannot and will not be a problem. There will be no dead horses to beat. My ears are still ringing with the words "get out of the office." If that doesn't resonate with reporters anywhere, I'm not sure how they'll get ahead.

We are explorers. Jack Marsh called us out on being curious and nosy, but why wouldn't we want to know anything about everything?

And just how do we get this information? Stepping out of the newsroom could be more than just a breath of fresh air and relief from computer screen-induced tunnel vision. It is what makes the story, bringing flavor to a setting and life to a source.

Watch out newsrooms, the Chipsters are armed and ready.

Robo-reader?

Whose perspective am I missing? When I write a story, I have to keep in mind that I may be a voice for those who may not have one, or a louder one for those who cannot be heard. People deserve quality content in whatever medium they choose to get it from. Keeping stories fresh and relevant in a time when people are overloaded with information is challenging, but remembering to keep the human in human interest is important. It's not like robots will be reading my stories. At least not anytime soon.

‘Part of something greater’

My expectation for the next eight days is to become a part of something greater than I could ever imagine. After my first night here, it has already been met. I've been welcomed as a part of the Chips Quinn family. Everything else from here on out is going to be wonderful because I know I have a strong support system ready to teach me and lead me to the next chapter of my life. I don't expect anything less than what a real family would have to offer.