Wednesday, March 26, 2014

One Step Closer to the Edge

In my previous post, I gave a shoutout to some of my friends and their awesomeness. Time for some more shoutouts!

Ashley is another fashionista in my life, whether she's rocking a power suit in the newsroom or really adorable (and affordable) finds from her thrift shop adventures. This post shows jsut how cute her clothes are... and also how badly I want them. Care to share closets, Ashley?

Bobby is another good friend of mine. We've actually known each other since high school! He's done some GREAT work for the ESPN affiliate on campus, even helping to host the radio shows. You can check out some of Bobby's work here.

Lastly, Missy and I have gotten closer this year in our TV2 class. As members of the Panhellenic Greek community here at UF, we're heavily involved in participating and being active in philanthropic events on campus throughout the year. One of those events is Dance Marathon, where over 800 Gators stand for 26.2 hours to raise money for sick children being treated in the Shands Pediatric Medical Facility here in Gainesville. Last year through DM, we raised over $1.1 million for the Children's Miracle Network, which is AMAZING. As a former participant in Dance Marathon and as a senior at UF, I encourage anyone who can to help Missy and I fundraise for this fantastic cause For the Kids!

If you'd like to make a contribution to Dance Marathon, you can visit my personal page here.

Two Steps Closer to the Edge

Throughout this entire journey in journalism, I've encountered a lot of different people and formed a bunch of friendships.

A fun fact about me: I was a swimmer for about six years, starting in middle school and "retiring" after my senior year of high school (I didn't really have a career out of it, but retiring sounds better than quitting or getting burned out). So, when I came to UF and ended up having a few classes with Elizabeth Beisel, you can probably guess that I freaked out just a bit.

Turns out, Liz is hands-down one of the sweetest people that I've ever met, and chances are if you've hung out with her, she's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, too. She's also a pretty great journalist, and I think it's kind of cool (and ironic) that she's in the industry when the media already plays such a huge role in her life as an athlete.

Still haven't caught on yet? She's an Olympian. You're welcome.

Another great person in my life is Jesse. He's the sassy friend that you've always wanted and more, and I've learned a lot about my work through what he does. He's the only person that I know that can say that they have a job for a news station in college. A JOURNALISM JOB IN COLLEGE. And here's everyone else freaking out about their future when this kid's already started his. Four for you Jesse, you go Jesse.

Lastly, Taylor is one of the most fashionable people I've ever met. Anytime I see one of her outfits, I take mental style notes. She's taken newsroom style to a whole new level. She even dedicated an entire blog post to newsroom fashion, which I think is a good go-to for any everyday fashion tips. My style is very simple and tasteful (at least I think so), and always consists of dressing up staple closet items, such as dark jeans, a casual blazer, ballet flats, or a simple boatneck top.

I shop at the likes of J.Crew and Gap, because although the style is constantly changing, everything revolves around those basic pieces, whether it's a pair of embellished chino shorts or dressing up an outfit with a statement necklace (such as this one, which I LOVE), and I think that Taylor's embraced that wholeheartedly and it shows.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

A Little Bit About Me...

Hey, all! It's been some time, but I'm back!

Earlier this semester, I posted an introductory post with a little bit of information about myself. I guess that this post won't be too formal or intensive, but will still have some more information about who I am, my hobbies, and my passions in life.

I'm from Deerfield Beach, Florida, which is a town about 15 minutes south of Boca Raton and about an hour north of Miami. I have one younger brother who's turning 17 next week, which is kind of scary to me seeing that in a year he'll be packing up and going to college (hopefully he'll be a Gator like his big sister). My parents are my heroes and best friends, especially with the journey that my family has gone through over the past nine months with my father's stroke. (UPDATE: Dad went back to work over spring break, which was AWESOME!!!)

I love shopping, music, going to the beach, watching sports (gotta love my Gators, Bucs, and Miami Heat) and food. I'm a self-proclaimed foodie. I might even become a travel/food journalist just so I can roam around the world and try new and different things. My friends like to consider me a localized Anthony Bourdain, just without the TV show. I also love photography, exploring through nature, and spending time with my friends, family, boyfriend, and our two pets, a cat named Smeagol (yes, after the Lord of the Rings character) and our brand-new puppy named Wrex (because he likes to be mischievous and break things).

I graduate in December, and I really have no idea what my plans are for graduation, especially since it's literally five days before Christmas. I plan on starting to apply for jobs in the fall and hopefully, with all of the hard work and prayers I've put in thus far and more, I'll land something somewhere decent and pursue my dream of becoming a journalist. If not, my backup plan (as of now) is to get my teaching certificate so I can teach high school english or journalism, then eventually get my master's in education or leadership.

This class has definitely taught me a lot about branding and marketing myself, and most importantly sharing my life and experiences with others, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.

Until next time, y'all :]