I took two days this past week away from homework and my life in Big Rapids to travel to Grand Rapids to explore.
For 12 hours I got the pleasure of meeting and talking with some exceptional people at the Michigan Press Association. I may not be a journalism student or think a career in journalism is feasible, but I took the opportunity to network with everyone involved in newspapers.
The first day at the conference I had the opportunity to be a student on the panel about how newspapers are facing a challenge with the technology increase. This experience was great for our paper and myself. As nervous as I was, everyone was so supportive of my responses and encouraged me to branch out during the conference. I was able to talk with so many people and gain a lot more insight about the newspaper business.
I attended several sessions and had a chance to explore the MLive office in downtown Grand Rapids. The two days I was in the city I gained not only more experience but confidence. Meeting new people and especially those in the professional field can always be intimidating. Being around a few hundred professionals was overwhelming, but in the long run, I felt like they were colleagues.
By the end of the two days I had gained enough confidence to say hello and talk with people. In two days I was able to meet so many intelligent individuals, speak with other college newspaper writers and network with the professionals. I may have some new opportunities to think about after this weekend.
Realizing that in two days so much can happen inspires me to get out there and see what else I can do. I need to become more adventurous and explore what the world has to offer. Who knew that it only takes two days to gain a perspective on life? I truly have so many possibilities come graduation; the sky is the limit.