Thursday, July 14, 2016

It's my last day in D.C. and I'm looking around my room thinking where did my week go?

     Today was an absolute blast! First of all, I met with Senator Inhofe and we had a wonderful conversation about journalism and college. The conversation even went into mission work and hopes for the world. I loved meeting with him and he was very generous to offer me some time. Also, the Capitol Building is beyond amazing!

     The rest of the afternoon was spent roaming around the National Mall, doing whatever we wanted to do. So, for obvious reasons, I checked out some of the Smithsonians. My personal favorite was the Museum of Natural History. I loved all of the animal exhibits, and the gems exhibit was beautiful as well. I also spent sometime in the Arts Garden and the Air and Space Museum. All in all it was a wonderful day of exploring.

     I am writing a little it early today because I have had some downtime to get ready for the big gala tonight at the Marriott in downtown D.C. After the fun night I'm sure I will be exhausted, and will have a lot of packing to do, which brings me to my next point...

     Tonight is my last night on my trip, and I wanted to give my blog a little bit of closure. Since I will be leaving in the morning my computer is going to be packed up tonight, so this is my final blog. I want to say that this has been the trip of a lifetime. I made friends here that I know I will have for a long time, and I don't look forward to saying goodbye tomorrow. Also, the connections I have made are incredible and I know the future in them will be bright. I have learned so much, and have seen so much in so little time it is hard to express just how much I have taken in. But, I would not trade this journey for the world.

     When I got on the plane to fly out from Oklahoma City five days ago it took all of the twenty seconds of courage I had to get me on that plane. I was going alone to somewhere I had never been and would not know anyone or anything to expect. Now it is going to take all of the twenty seconds of courage I have to leave this place tomorrow. I want to thank everyone for supporting me through this adventure, it has been one I will never forget. God sent me such blessing when I was invited to come here. Here's to another great adventure, and all of the many that are to come!

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

These are my two favorite pieces of information I learned today...
     "Do what you love, and the money will follow." Amy Takayama-Perez
     "Blink-182 is very tall." Assad Khan

     The first ting we did today was hear from Carol Guzy who is a photojournalist. Let me tell you, her photos/stories churned my heart. She witness and photographed some amazing events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the aftermath of disasters like the Haiti earthquake and 9/11. Hearing her stories had me in tears, but actually seeing her photographs broke my heart. I know she will never forget the things she has witnessed, and I know that I will never forget how seeing her work impacted me. We were all very fortunate to have had that experience today...

     After lunch and a fun newspaper writing simulation, we returned to hear from Amy Takayama-Perez who I quoted above. She is the Dean of Admissions for George Mason University. At first I was concerned that she was just trying to sell us on the school, but I soon learned that that was clearly not the case! Perez gave some fantastic advice about choosing a college, a major, and how to afford what you choose. As someone who is in the college decision making process I was very encouraged by her advice and now feel much more ready to make such decisions in the near future.

     We then had another brief meeting followed by a speech from Kevin McCarthy, who is an entertainment reporter. He, as well as Charles Bramesco who is a reporter for the Rolling Stones, had some wonderful stories that I enjoyed listening to. They also really got me thinking about how many different aspects of journalism there actually are. I also loved the senses of humor that came out of both of them. After all, sarcasm is my first and favorite language.

     Another exciting thing we got to do today was hear from Assad Khan, a radio host for DC-101. Our time with him was in a much smaller, one-on-one venue, and it was extremely informative. I greatly enjoyed hearing about just exactly how the radio station worked and what his job specifically consisted of. He also had some great stories and fun facts about artists from meeting them. This is where I got my other opening quote so, no Dad, unfortunately I did not personally meet Blink-182 today, but I've heard the lead singer is quite tall.

     Today was a lot of work but it was the best kind of work and was very enjoyable. Tomorrow is another huge day and I look forward to the early start in the morning.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

All of the best days begin with adorable animals.

     At home, I am always woken up by a huge dog jumping on top of me, wanting to play. This morning at National Geographic Headquarters we got to see the top three liked Instagram posts of the companies profile. They were all of adorable fuzzy animals, my favorite being the baby panda. The visit to the National Geographic was phenomenal! I absolutely loved hearing stories from the editorial director, Susan Goldberg. I will never forget the advice she gave us as student journalists...
    "Be resilient. Be curious. Be skeptical..."

     After an awesome Italian lunch, we bused over to the National Press Club. Let me tell you, this place is kind of a big deal. We first met with the C-Span Executive Chairman, Brian Lamb. Our meeting was incredibly thought provoking as we discussed politics and current events, such as the presidential campaign, terrorism, and discrimination. It was great to hear everyone's different opinions on the matters, and I believe it really got us all thinking a little deeper about the state of our country.

     Our next meeting at the Press Club was with a political panel consisting of Jen Bendery from Huffington Post, Karin Caifa from CNN-Newsource, and Zach Wineburg from Google. They were asked some topical questions by Lisa Gring-Pemble from George Mason University. The rest of our time with them was open for our own questions and discussions. I particularly loved hearing their personal stories about experiences in the media, including Caifa's about visiting Ferguson, Missouri.

     After a quick power nap on the bus heading back to campus, we grabbed a fast dinner in the dining hall and hurried to our next speaker. It was an honor to hear from Mike Shear, a White House Correspondent for The New York Times. He immediately won me over with his sense of humor, and he had amazing stories of covering the 2008 Presidential Campaign. It was also fun to hear about his personal experiences with President Obama, himself.

     Today was another wonderful day full of great people, great places, and adorable animals. It has been quite the adventure so far, and I look forward to continuing it tomorrow!

Monday, July 11, 2016

In the wise words of Ben Rector, "This is a lot for an Oklahoma kid like me..."

     Today started with a bang, and that bang was six o'clock in the morning. Breakfast was served bright and early so we could catch our buses and head to Arlington to hear from, the lovely, Hoda Kotb. Her speech perfectly set the tone for the day. It was very encouraging and full of great advice. One thing she said that has really stuck with me is, "Don't hog your journey. It's not just for you." When something amazing happens it is our responsibility to share it, (hence the blog.)

     After lunch we hopped back on the buses for a cool minute to get to the Newseum in D.C. This place is above and beyond anything I could have imagined! I can guarantee I took more pictures than I will ever be able to share. The amount of artifacts, and pieces of history that I viewed is insane. One thing that I particularly loved was the Berlin Wall. It stands twelve feet tall, according to the voice over that plays at the exhibit, and it includes an entire watchtower that you can even go into. Another exhibit I loved was about the "First Dogs of the United States." Like President Ford, one of my first dogs is also a golden retriever.

     The last thing we did tonight after a huge burger cookout for dinner was tour some of D.C.'s monuments. Our first stop was the White House, and we did not get to go inside but got some great pictures of the outside and enjoyed the street entertainment in the area. Our next stop, and my personal favorite, was the World War II Memorial. Not only was it stunning, but it was very peaceful. Sitting by the water and listening to the rustling of the fountain was so calming. We went to the Lincoln Memorial as well, and got to watch the sunset on the Washington monument.

     Today was an adventure and tomorrow holds more. I am very thankful for the experience I have had so far, and am excited for what is yet to come!

Sunday, July 10, 2016

There is a beautiful quote by Benjamin Mee that goes,

"It only takes twenty seconds of insane courage, just twenty seconds of embarrassing bravery..."

     Today I took twenty seconds to get on a plane all alone and fly halfway across the country to a place where I would not know anyone. So far, I have no regrets. I have just completed my first evening in Washington D.C. at George Mason University for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference. Thus far, I have enjoyed a great meal, an encouraging speaker, some wonderful introductions, and an enthusiastic group meeting that has me excited for the rest of the week.

     Still, I have no idea what tomorrow holds, and what to expect for the next five days is still beyond me. However, as of this evening I am very hopeful that this week will be the unforgettable experience that was promised.