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*sappy thread warning*
There are a few new faces here so I just wanted to share a bit of my sports journalism story. I'm feeling very grateful to be where I am today and I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the positives over the last year :-)
1/11
There are a few new faces here so I just wanted to share a bit of my sports journalism story. I'm feeling very grateful to be where I am today and I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the positives over the last year :-)
1/11
Last February I decided to move from CA to WA. I left three PT jobs, two of which were game day jobs in sports. Little did I know what the rest of 2020 had in store for the world.
2/11
2/11
The job I had lined up fell through - I was unemployed for my first three months in WA. My dream of working in sports started to fade away as seasons started shutting down due to COVID.
I felt deterred by my limited exp and was drowning in rejections from entry level jobs.
3/11
I felt deterred by my limited exp and was drowning in rejections from entry level jobs.
3/11
Luckily I got a PT job at a local news station in June. This is my first job in media since graduating in 2017 with a journalism degree. I finally felt like I was on track.
Yet something was missing.
4/11
Yet something was missing.
4/11
My new coworkers would ask what I wanted to do (career wise) and my answer was the same as it's been since I was a kid: sports media.
But that dream somehow felt more out of reach than ever.
5/11
But that dream somehow felt more out of reach than ever.
5/11
I spent much of 2020 just going with the flow. For the first time in my life, I lost the fire in me and I struggled more than I ever have with my mental health.
I didn't feel like my dream was worth chasing.
6/11
I didn't feel like my dream was worth chasing.
6/11
Then I met a bunch of incredible ppl in sports on Twitter. Mostly reporters, but also designers, video editors, photogs, you name it.
As I heard their stories and saw their work, I felt more motivated than ever to unapologetically pursue my goal of working in sports media.
7/11
As I heard their stories and saw their work, I felt more motivated than ever to unapologetically pursue my goal of working in sports media.
7/11
In December I landed a writing gig with @HighPostHoops and was thrilled to start covering women's basketball. I hadn't written published sports content for an outlet since college.
I felt like I was in my element again.
8/11
I felt like I was in my element again.
8/11
Earlier this month, I joined the team for @TheNextHoops and am over the moon to be part of such a diverse and growing newsroom.
I'm still working at the news station too. I went from having no professional media exp to having three media gigs in a matter of months.
9/11
I'm still working at the news station too. I went from having no professional media exp to having three media gigs in a matter of months.
9/11
This isn't a thread to hype myself up. This is a thread to share that everyone's journey in media and in sports is different.
Don't compare where you're at on that journey to where others are. You will get to where you're meant to be in your own way.
10/11
Don't compare where you're at on that journey to where others are. You will get to where you're meant to be in your own way.
10/11
I'm so grateful that my media career finally has some legs under it and I'm even happier I get to cover such a cool sport in women's hoops.
If you're struggling on your path rn, don't give up! You never know what opportunity could be right around the corner.
All love
11/11
If you're struggling on your path rn, don't give up! You never know what opportunity could be right around the corner.
All love
11/11
