Ciao, journalism students!

That right there is my meager attempt at speaking Italian, the very place I plan to be come August for study abroad! I can't believe this long-held dream is coming to pass, and that I got into the journalism school, and that I get to study business.... Okay, maybe I should slow down. Let's start from the beginning.

My name is Jeanette and I am a third year student at The University of Texas at Austin. I am a native from San Antonio, Texas and my parents are of Hispanic descent (Mexico is near and dear to my heart). I am also a marketing student at the McCombs School of Business, on the other side of campus. I waited two years to apply to the journalism school,  I think mostly out of fear. But I recently took the big step, and what do you know, I'm now a double major. I wish I could share the story of why I waited so long, but in the end I realized that sometimes what we passionately feel we're called to do is what we love to do! Robert Frost once wrote:

“My goal in life is to unite my avocation with my vocation,

As my two eyes make one in sight.”

I've always had an urging desire to write, ponder, to seek truth and see justice fulfilled. Journalism is the life I've always wanted, but was too afraid to choose, because perhaps our greatest fear is the greatness we see in ourselves. Finally, I love people and I love Jesus, the greatest BREAKING STORY the world has ever witnessed:

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

before the Lord,"

12 13 

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I wouldn't have it any other way.
-Jeanette


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Hi everyone my name is Alicia. I Just transferred to UT Austin from San Antonio Community college. I am a Journalism major to become a television host and I'm also getting my Business Foundation Certification. I chose UT because it has one of the best Communication programs in Texas especially for my specific interest in broadcast. Oprah Winfrey is my biggest inspiration career wise because she goes beyond the title of TV talent and uses her platform well.

I've been modeling since I was 15 and that came in handy as I've gotten older and now use some of my networks to further my career goals. https://www.facebook.com/Aliciajazminmodel I've had the opportunity to shadow Fox 29 Kimberly Crawford and be involved in a local movie in San Antonio all because of the doors modeling has opened for me.

I look forward to meeting all of you and exploring the awesome city of Austin. If you have any suggestions of places to check out in while I'm here, please share with me (shopping, restaurants,organizations, anything I should know about Austin)

twitter: aliciajazmin_

instagram: aliciajazminmodel

Introducing America's Next: Kate Bartick

I came into college knowing what I wanted to do. 

Kate Bartick, America's next prima ballerina. 

It was part of my identity, I came from a small town in New Jersey to big, bad Texas. 

Have a mentioned the first time I was south of the Mississippi was when I came to audition for UT's dance program?I trained everyday freshman year, pushing through sickness and injuries, and tears and pain, both emotional and physical. I woke up one morning and realized that the last thing on earth that I wanted to do was spend 2 hours standing up on my big toes, mindlessly moving my body trying to teachers professors who never seemed to crack a smile. I have more potential than that. 

Then suddenly, I became Kate Bartick, America's next....?

I lost a big part of my identity when I stepped off the stage and I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Writing has always been a big part of my life. My father is a writer, my brother wants to go into filmmaking, and it has always been something close to my heart that I enjoy doing. So, naturally, I gravitated towards writing as a new pursuit. I applied to the Moody College of Communication in September of 2013, and I was accepted in January of 2014. I am THRILLED to be here. 

I feel like I have something to say to the world. What that is, I'm not sure yet. But I think that my words can hopefully change something.

I'm interested in society's obsession with social networking, and why everyone needs to know everything about everyone all the time. I want to know why we are trashing the one planet we are given. I want to know why women and society are constantly told that they're not good enough and that they're too fat, too skinny, to smart, or too driven. I want to learn things, but I also want to change things. I want to inspire people to change, question, rethink, or gain confidence in their ways.

Looking back, I am so happy that I pursued dance for as long as I did because it taught me so much. Thanks to my exhausted dance career, I am very disciplined. I go to every class, I pay attention, and I get done what I need to. I am also very motivated. If I want something, I work as hard as I need to in order to get it. Just ask Emily, the girl I stole the role of the Sugarplum Fairy from in 12th grade, how intense I get when I'm determined. I think she might still be bitter to this day.

 So what if I am not the next Gillian Murphy or Julie Kent. I am hoping that one day, no matter what it is I pursue, someone will one day say that they want to be America's next Kate Bartick. 

Visit My Website!

I'm McKenzie

Hey guys,
My name's McKenzie Jones and I'm from Austin, so I'm not too far from home. Getting into UT was a huge deal for me, since it's always been my dream school and not a lot of people from my high school got accepted. I live with my best friend, Meggie, and together we love to do yoga, hike, swim, go to festivals, and shop downtown. I played softball my whole life while trying out other sports here and there, so I love sports.

I plan to double major in Journalism and Psychology. With that, I want to do investigative journalism, focusing on child trafficking and poverty in India and Africa. While I'm there, I want to be able to counsel and do psychological experiments, research, and hands on work. I'd love to be able to direct a documentary highlighting the harsh realities of child and women trafficking because that's something that a lot of people hear about, but don't really know about. I want to make a difference in the world.

My faith is a huge part of why I want to pursue that career. I love spending time with Jesus and have just started training to be a YoungLife leader. I want to go to places where Jesus's name isn't known and give people the chance to hear about him, which is what I feel I am called to do. I have 4 tattoos about my walk with Him, ask me about them sometime.

Through the Eyes of Vanessa

 My name is Vanessa and ever since I was a little girl I had always dreamed of talking amongst millions of people through the television screen, obviously my passion is journalism! I recently transferred into this major from public relations since I didn't really like the classes offered. Everything that I do revolves around some type of use of communication whether it is the PR work for my organization or producing for my shows.

This is my third year here at UT and in that time I have founded and am president of an organization where I have spoken at the capital and towards the senator. I enjoy working with high school kids in low-income areas, I mentor and make speeches from grades 9-12.

I have been fortunate enough to be the Creator and Executive Producer for TSTVs entertainment talk show The Real Deal. There I host and produce the outgoing content as well as help current volunteers. I am also Executive Producer for Austin Underground which covers more on-location entertainment news.

I am extremely passionate about every form of news whether it is hard or soft. I prefer reporting on entertainment news since it isn't as conservative like the news. Although I do like to stay informed with news as constantly as possible, I usually look at the CNN website where I get my information.

When it comes to entertainment I enjoy watching What Not to Wear, Ellen, E News and so forth. I have a whole range of interests and mostly everything in the realm of communication is my favorite.

1

listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?

my name is Carson and I grew up in upper-middle class suburbia, which made me realize everything that I didn't want to be. I have been residing in ATX for the past two years, where I enjoy spending my time by the lake, Barton creek, Zilker park, and Greenbelt. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. It's the little things- waking up to sunlight creeping out of my window, turning the page of an old novel, feeling my grandmother's soft, wrinkly hands. This is my life, and it's coming closer to an end after every minute, every second.

My interests include Fyodor Dostoevsky, South Park, Led Zeppelin, Carl Sagan, Middle Eastern culture, Bright Eyes, David Foster Wallace, shopping (sadly), Buddhism, Lord of the Rings, documentaries, Richard Dawkins, running, history, Modest Mouse, etc.

Something Different.

Hola! I'm Alessandra, a first-year journalism and (hopefully) PR double-major at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Wow. Snoozefest.

Lately, I've been asked to give multiple introductions. Sounds crazy, no? Actually, not really.
As a freshman, you're asked so many times to explain where you're from and something interesting about yourself. You end up having these answers down-pat and by the end of the day you've forgotten half of your classmate's names and where they're from.
"What was that? 2 hours north of San Antonio? No? Oh well..."

As for my first blog post, however, I decided to do something a little different.

Introducing...
5 SUPER(kind of) FUN FACTS ABOUT ME THAT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW BY JUST LOOKING AT ME OR BY LISTENING TO MY SNOOZEFEST INTRO.

1. I went to a Catholic, all-girls college prep school for, wait for it, 14 years.
Yep. Plaid jumper and everything.

Age 4: Mmm... check out that mushroom haircut. Goes perfectly with that turtleneck.

Age 18: 

 

2. My parents were born and later, met in Lima, Peru. He was a TA, and she was a college student. I know... scandal. 

3. If there's anything I love more than my own blood relatives, my best friends, and great food, it's theater. And lots of it. I started when I was about 6 years old and haven't stopped since. Here's a clip from my senior show, Fiddler on the Roof. My best friend played Tevye (the guy with all of the important lines, russian accent, and fantastic noodle-arm dance), and I played his wife, Golde. She was a real sassafrass. 

4. My favorite animal is the Alpaca. For obvious reasons, of course. 

5. I've always secretly wanted to start a blog but have never really had an idea of how to go about doing that. So I'm actually incredibly excited about this course. I got so excited, I started a tumblr. 

And that's about it! Carry on, my fellow journalism majors. Carry on.