Where Has the Time Gone?

Where has the time gone? You may notice my last blog entry was last April (I apologize) … that’s almost a year ago, but it seems like yesterday.  These past eleven months have been a whirlwind and I am glad I have finally been able to return to blogging for the College.  My time in Washington was spectacular.

I extended my internship with NBC/MSNBC through the summer and had some incredible opportunities including working for a journalist I have looked up to for quite a long time, contributing to reports on the Arab Spring, the death of Osama bin Laden, and working on the Dateline Special, Taking the Hill: Inside Congress, and meeting some of the top news makers in the world.

In August, I traveled to the Iowa State Fair and Ames Straw Poll as the Comcast’s Own The Vote correspondent.  I interviewed Sarah Palin, Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Gov. Mike Huckabee, RNC Chair Reince Priebus, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter and Rep. Gresham Barrett.

I also followed Gov. Mitt Romney and Speaker Newt Gingrich around the fair.  They weren’t talking to anyone but they both recognized me after I had been following them for a few days 🙂  I should note the Romney campaign allowed me to interview his son, Tagg.  The entire time in Iowa was surreal.  I was incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to interview these news makers and to improve my reporting skills.  On the eve of my birthday, my story became available on Xfinity (also known as Comcast On Demand).  It truly was the best birthday yet.

At the beginning of this spring semester, I was fortunate to interview CNN’s John King when he hosted his show from the College on the eve of Charter Day, which also marked the investment of Secretary Robert Gates as Chancellor. Secretary Gates was also kind enough to give student reporters like me the opportunity to interview him.  He has had such a storied career and it is an honor to be attending the same university he did.

All of these experiences were not only exciting and educational, but they have also opened many doors for me and I am grateful that it all started with my participation in the William and Mary Washington semester program.

Since I was four years old, I have always dreamt of being a journalist.  My participation in William and Mary Television since my freshman year has allowed me to improve my reporting skills.  As a result, I was able to obtain various internships that allowed me to gain more experience in the news industry.  The College allowed me to do academic work in conjunction with these internships to receive credit (most internships require that you receive academic credit).  Without the support of William and Mary faculty and the Dean of Students, I probably would not have been able to do these internships.

This means I probably would not have had the opportunity to go to Iowa and interview various Republican presidential candidates and other politicians.

The College of William and Mary was the only school I applied to that did not offer a degree in journalism.  I took a chance by deciding to enroll here – I thought that I would be most successful where I felt most comfortable becoming involved in the community.  It has definitely paid off.

So that’s a quick recap of the past eleven months.  I look forward to sharing the latest “news” from the College with you!