I’ve always wanted to try one of these, so here goes nothing.
It’s been over six weeks since I graduated with a B.A. in mass communication for journalism. I started my position here as a reporter less than two weeks later, so things moved quickly for me. When I began this job, I knew my life was changing since the biggest chapter of my life so far had just ended.
My four years at Georgia College were a beautiful and fulfilling gift from God. There, I made lifelong friends and discovered my passions for writing and sports photography, which are undoubtedly my favorite areas of work here at Lake Oconee News.
But nothing prepared me for how quickly things would change after I got that diploma. Nobody told me how overwhelming it can be to present yourself in a way that differs significantly from how you did as a student. Heck, I don’t feel like that girl who walked across the stage on that rainy May afternoon.
Sometimes, it’s very easy to feel pressure from a workforce routine after spending most of your life on a classroom schedule. We all know that adjusting to big changes calls for challenges, since they will be unfamiliar.
But hey, I was beyond excited to start because I love what I do for a living.
Disclaimer: When I started working here last month, I had a solid idea of how to do my job. I was an intern here last year, since I had to complete a position for credit hours. But it feels so different this time since I finished school.
We are bound to make mistakes at the beginning of our new professions. It is pretty humbling, and I am still learning and making mistakes along the way.
So, let me tell you a little about my first month as a full-time reporter. Oh, it has been a trip!
For the past few weeks, I’ve made many trips to cover the new Lake Oconee “Wild Things” baseball team. Watching the community get together for a great sport has been an absolute blast, and I get all the action shots with my trusty little camera.
Now, Skyla does a great job preparing her equipment before shooting ball games, but what is she bad at preparing for? Weather. You can probably see where this is going.
The sky was mostly clear as I left my house, so I assumed everything would be fine.
As I got to LOA, I heard this big clap of thunder, and of course, the starting time was delayed by 30 minutes. I made it to the stands and was greeted by a lovely, windy monsoon, leaving me drenched head to toe. It rained again a couple of hours later, and I booked it to my car as the game was suspended. I sat down and unzipped my camera bag to check if anything got wet, and, luckily, nothing was harmed.
When I got home, it was pitch-black outside, and it was a full-on downpour. I was so ready to be inside that I grabbed my bag and ran, not realizing I hadn’t zipped my bag.
Later that weekend, I realized I was missing a camera lens. Sure enough, it fell out of my backpack while I was running to the house. So, a couple of days later, I found it in the grass, with water all inside it.
But it never broke! I stuck it by a dehumidifier for a few days, and it dried up entirely. Thank you, Jesus!
This experience alone taught me several lessons, like how I probably would’ve avoided all the trouble if I had left the game when it started raining. (But I didn’t drive out there for nothing.) And that you should always have a poncho prepared because you will never win a battle with Mother Nature.
Despite how frustrating it is to make mistakes on the job, I am so grateful for the opportunities to grow as a person and a professional. The past month has been a whirlwind, and I am so excited for all the things this job has to offer me this year.
So, here’s to a crazy new chapter. And remember: always have a poncho on hand!