Accepting the challenge

by Patricia Lee

Wow, my first two days (or one full day, I suppose) here at SJI have been a real whirlwind. From getting up at 4:30 a.m. to catch my 7 a.m. flight out from L.A. to Dallas/Ft. Worth to St. Petersburg to having gone through two sports checks, it’s been a trip. I should have known what was coming, just following the car ride from the airport to our hotel two blocks from the Poynter Institute. After brief chats about Tampa Bay and Sandy’s time in Florida, the conversation turned to Big-10’s football teams, which, of course, led to discussion about Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor. I definitely came into SJI thinking that everyone would be very knowledgeable about sports, but it still came as a sort of surprise to me. That’s what I took away most from these first days of SJI. I was finally surrounded by people who wanted to do what I want to do, people my age who have a genuine and strong passion for sports journalism. I’ve never been in this type of environment before, where everyone is looking toward a career in journalism, and to be honest, it’s pretty intimidating. But I think I’m ready for the challenge, and I know that I’m prepared for what’s up next. These next nine days will be difficult and strenuous, but I’ll learn so much and take so much out of it. I’ll be meeting people who are top in their business and I feel so lucky to have these people as mentors, as editors, and as connections in the business. It’s exciting to know that I’ll meet people who have the jobs I one day hope to have. I was nervous before I came here and still am. The most important thing I’ve learned so far is to not be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. Sure, I’d love to impress these people, but what’s most important is becoming a better journalist and being even better prepared going into my espnW internship in New York. These next several days are for learning and self-reflection. I’m excited to learn more about the industry and more about what it takes to be a good reporter. I’m ready to work hard and take in as much information as I can. Greg said something last night that really stuck with me—here we are, sacrificing a week of our summer before our internships and though it’s only one week, this week could make all the difference in our future. And I’m ready for that; I’m ready to make the most of my time here in St. Pete.