A Summer That Changed My Life

I always knew that my journalism career would take me many different places. The biggest place I dream of moving to is Los Angeles, California. However, I did not think that the start of my career would take me to Honolulu, Hawaii. In the summer of 2014 my life was changed professionally and personally. I was interning at a news station called KITV 4 News. From learning how to be a field reporter to learning how to be an assistant producer, my trip to Hawaii will forever be a trip to remember. I did not only grow as a professional but I also grew as an individual soul. I came into a new world unfamiliar and disheartened but when I left, I left educated and soulful.

During my tenure in Hawaii, I learned how to be a professional in my career. My time at KITV 4 News gave me a lot of hands-on training with a variety of professions in the newsroom that I did not even know I was capable of. I discovered that I am not only a strong writer, but I am also a producer. I am capable of not just writing news but creating it as well and turning it into a story. Most of time was spent in the newsroom and on the field. There were days I went onto live shots with different reporters to get the hands-on experience of what it is like to be a live reporter. This was the part my internship that I enjoyed the most. I have a passion for journalism in general, but when it comes to reporting it and sharing it with the audience in audio or visual I have much stronger passion in that aspect. There were many times I actually got to experience what it was like to be in front of the camera. I did what they called “standups,” which is when a reporter puts a story together and presents it on camera. The best part about going to the live shots was the scenery. I was able to travel to different parts of Oahu for free and for business! Not only was the scenery the best part, but meeting new people and making connections with other reporters and producers from different news stations was a favorite part of my experience as well. Granted the business side of my tenure on Oahu was grand. However, it was the fun side and the living in paradise part that made it even better.

On the days I was off from work I would spend my time site seeing and soaking up the sun. From beach hopping, to surfing, to going to a luau, I was always doing something. I ended up meeting guy there who took me everywhere on Oahu and taught me so many different things about the Hawaiian culture. I even learned how to surf! Needless to say, I ended up falling in love with this person, which my experience much more rewarding and delightful. Being in Hawaii taught me that learning about yourself and others can be the most rewarding part in life. Life is too short to be worrying about “the haves and have not’s.” Before I came to Hawaii I was broken mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Coming back from Hawaii, I came back a new person, a stronger woman with an agenda. I came back determined that my happiness professionally and personally is important. Hawaii is where I found myself again.