I had a job interview recently where I was asked that common question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Instead of thinking about the future, I thought about the past. I thought of myself five years ago having just graduated from a small high school and coming to this massive campus with all these new people and getting lost in LNCO on my first day.
Part of me knew that I would inevitably go to the University of Utah as part of furthering my education because as someone who grew up in Salt Lake City, it’s been so omnipresent. Anytime I was brought to campus as part of a field trip, there was always a mention of a former alumnus who had made their mark.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel intimidated back then by the upperclassmen who seemed to have it all figured out. But, getting older here helped me to get to know my peers and to feel like I was finally getting involved on campus.
When COVID-19 hit, everything shut down and I lost contact with friends and classmates. Taking classes on Zoom often made me feel lonely and disconnected from the U. Joining the Chrony was exactly what I needed.
When I think about it, a lot can happen in five years. I became a double major, made so many new friends and connections, somehow dodged COVID, survived that earthquake, spent a summer studying abroad in London, joined the Chrony and gained a sense of self I had been lacking.
Through this internship, I gained a clearer understanding of what I want to put out into the world, became a stronger writer, discovered a passion for photography and re-discovered that sense of connection I had lost. Meeting with like-minded peers who are also on a similar path to me has been so fulfilling.
I often think back to one of my first stories covering the Illuminate Creative Arts + Tech Festival on a very cold November night in 2022. I was wearing a very thin jacket and shivering while taking my photos, which is not a good combination for nighttime photography. Somehow I scored an on-the-fly interview with the festival director.
A year later, I covered the festival again. I like to compare the two stories as a clear, tangible example of how I’ve grown as an aspiring journalist. There’s a stronger format to the story, sharper pictures and clearer voice.
I couldn’t pick my favorite story I’ve written. Sometimes, I like to look back on my catalogue and admire how much freedom I’ve had and the variety it’s given my stories and the stories I could tell about the articles themselves: covering the Sundance Film Festival twice, reviewing the latest movies and television shows or writing about local businesses and features that even I didn’t know were here in SLC. Additionally, I have loved reading articles from my peers on the Arts Desk and the other desks. It’s fascinating to see where everyone’s priorities and opinions on the Chrony lie.
Maybe not my favorite story, but the most personal to me was covering Allen Park in Sugarhouse, or, as it’s colloquially known, “Hobbitville.” It’s a tiny, out-of-the-way odd collection of homes, birds and poetry I spent an afternoon wandering around in. Initially, I didn’t think I’d have a lot to write about or take photos of. After exploring the park for a bit longer, and seeing through my camera lens the amount of character in this charming little place, I was already filling up my notes app. To me, I think of it as a perfect distillation of the type of journalistic growth that’s possible at the Chrony.
Thinking back on being part of the U and cut of having participated in as much as possible here, I feel happy that I can say that I have made a mark. There was a period recently when the Arts Desk lost some writers but now there’s a new batch coming in right as many of us are leaving. To them, I wish nothing but the best.
So where do I see myself in five years? On the good chance that I have put what I’ve learned at the Chrony to use, probably being asked again to reflect as I move on to the next opportunity.
