When I was 14 or so, I decided I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. For years, I practiced while playing sports video games. I also enjoyed writing and made silly audio 'podcasts.' I never published anything and no, I don't have those files anymore, please don't ask. 

​

When I got to college, I unexpectedly fell in love with journalism, and telling stories through written word, audio and video. I received a well-rounded education, taking classes in newspaper writing, digital writing, video storytelling, public relations, crisis communications, graphic design, advertising, photojournalism, law and more.

​

I started my first full-time journalism job two days after I graduated. I learned a lot. Mostly, I learned how to work with others. I struggled for months to be okay with others editing my writing and questioning my choices. I got mad when others didn't live up to my expectations. But as time went on, I got better. I built better relationships. I earned trust. 

​

After two years, I made a big jump to a much bigger city: Nashville. My new coworkers were surprised at how young I was. But I gained trust there, too, earning a quick promotion. I proved myself as a valuable producer and team builder every day. Until I started to lose it.

 

2020 and 2021. COVID-19, racial unrest, a contentious election, COVID vaccines, a bombing in downtown Nashville, January 6th - and many, many more smaller, regional stories dominated our headlines. The stress piled up until I broke. I knew my job was no longer good for my mental or physical health. But I was also embarrassed that I couldn't handle the mental load of the job I had trained for and picked. Ultimately, I made the hard decision to step away.

​

In a sense, I was starting over. I didn't know what was next. A few months later, my wife got a job she wanted back in Texas, so we packed up and moved to College Station. I applied for all sorts of different communications jobs. I was blessed to get one in TV again - this time without the news part. 

​

I've been at KAMU for three years. I've loved what I've done and what I've learned. I am responsible for so many new, different and fun aspects of content creation. I've learned more skills than I ever thought possible. I've become a part of a professional production team and I now understand what goes into organizing shoots, laying out storyboards, setting up equipment, editing, coloring and publishing. Now, I'm looking for my next opportunity, and I hope to continue to use many of my new skills.