What life has been: Post-Grad
I didn’t realize jumping straight into a Journalism career immediately after graduating would terrify me as much as it did. I felt a host of conflicting emotions. I am an eager individual who thrives in a work enviornment, who makes paths for myself whether it is of certainity or of “what-ifs,” and constantly wants to learn and practice. That said, fear of the unknown never stopped me from taking any opportunity presented to me.
After receiving an offer at a news station in West Virginia, my mind flooded with “what-ifs.” For the first time, professionally, I felt the need to hault progression.
After graduating high school at 16, I immediately pursued moving 1,266 mi. away to attend Howard University. My parents stopped me. A year later I moved 566 mi. away and attended Florida A&M University, where I later graduated.
Immeditately, my desire to learn and practice pinball launched me into every nook and cranny of J-School. I’m not going to rattle off resume here (feel free to go click the tab up there, lol), but know I took every opportunity I could.
Fast-forward, to a few months later, once again I’m preparing to make a big move studying abroad, discussing programs with my advisor and researching. Covid-19 stopped me.
Apart from feeling immense anxiety, witnessing an exponential rise in cases, and experiencing an influx of fear for myself and humans everywhere, as an extrovert (or ambivert) I suffered mentally. Even when the world reopened, I struggled navigating people again. I took a semester off working at a resturant and forced myself to engage with people without the pressure of school.
I returned to campus the following fall semester picking up right where I left off.
Reminiscing on my journey to and through college, I realized how incessantly I felt the need to rush and do only pausing due to external factors forcing me to. When I received a job offer right after graduating I, for the first time, felt the need to pause myself.
Throughout my entire journey I’ve always had community and family. God always places people in my life when I need them. I didn’t believe He wouldn’t do it again if I moved to West Virginia, but I knew it would be an adjustment. I needed to experience navigating adulthood and my mental health on my own without the stress of meeting the expectations of anyone else. This time, I stopped me.
I rekindled my social media management and virtual assistance business for income, bartended, briefly clerked at a hotel and most recently a filled the role of a sales manager at Dillard’s. I found myself on set for a local series shooting BTS content and helping as a production assitant. So many experiences, in such little time.
It’s been a little over a year since graduating, and boyyy (or girl) it has been A YEAR. I learned countless lessons and felt what feels like countless rejection (I’ll leave those experiences for a different entry maybe). In retrosepct, I can only describe it as transformative. My therapist recently told me, “It’s up to us to decided whether the trauma we experience is good or bad.” How we use our experiences to move forward is left up to us.
I choose to let my experiences remind me of my strength and of my dedication to always learn and practice. I choose to remind myself that I am fearless. I choose to remind myself of who I am in my soul, who I have always been… she’s still here. I am a woman who continues to looks at life like the little girl I once was — I am one who makes paths for myself whether it is of certainity or of “what-ifs.”
I am ready to unhook the doorstop and swing into the next room where I will thrive and be all of who I am. I am eager to continue to work hard, sharpen my creativity, learn and practice.
