As the middle of the semester arrived, I realized that #loweclass has given me much more than just field assignments and AP Style quizzes – which I still have much to learn from. I grew as a reporter by covering events and making phone calls that I´ve never been able to do before.
To be honest, sometimes I used to feel out of place when reporting news. I was an intern for the AcheiUSA newspaper in Deerfield Beach over the summer and they used me as a translator. I felt good and disappointed at the same time: good because they liked my work, but disappointed because they didn´t trust me enough to write single pieces. Then our first assignment with #loweclass came in. I got to network with professionals in Gainesville and met one of the directors of the non-profit organization Gainesville Black Professionals (GBP), Virginia Grant, who I´m working with until now for my special report. Second field assignment was a little harder. I wanted to do a story that ended up not working as I planned. My plan B was to meet with April Hynes, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications librarian, and ask for help. She found helped me to find data as I wanted to write about the rise in the health insurance cost for teachers in Alachua County after Gov. Rick Scott tenure. Although the story seemed good, I could not find enough teachers to talk to me about the issue. In the meanwhile, Grant invited me to attend a dinner honoring the 2018 nominees for the GBP´s Women of Vision and Purpose award that is going to take place in Dec. 8. It was a good opportunity for practicing my reporting skills. During the event, I met Lukisha King, who would end up giving me a tip for my third assignment. King is the president of the non-profit organization Lync Support Services, that helps people with disabilities in the Gainesville area. Lync hosted its first annual Halloween party for disabled people on Saturday, Oct. 6, and I was there to register every moment of it. Although only 11 people attended, and it was not a news-worth event, I was able to meet Roger Gross, 57, who made my day by asking for a selfie. Being a journalist is not easy. You need to make the right choices at the right time if you want to succeed. I´m a senior and no, I don´t think I´m a good reporter right now, but I´m working hard to improve my abilities and I´m sure one day I will do some great reporting. Until then, I´m looking forward to continue learning in professor´s Lowe class.
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AuthorGiovanna Kubota is a 22-year-old Brazilian pursuing a master's degree in Communication at the University of Central Florida. |