This semester was defined by my persistence.

I knew by the beginning of my senior year that I did not want to be a full-time journalist. Instead, I wanted to work as a digital designer for media companies and create thoughtful visual assets that assist journalistic stories. 

So, when i found out I would be writing multiple articles a week it is safe to say I wasn’t a happy camper. In previous semesters I would have let this get the best of me. 

However, I wanted this semester to be different and I am proud of the work I have accomplished as a result. It is by no means perfect but it is the hardest I have tried in my collegiate experience.

I was really glad to hear that my beat would be Art and Culture this semester because it was right up my alley. Reporting on topics that interested me was great. 

My first major hurdle was finding sources. Previously I wrote about university happenings and could quickly find sources with a quick stroll through the yard. 

However, this class required me to reach out to people in high positions. At first this intimidated me, I thought “Why would the Smithsonian’s Lead Curator  want to talk to me?”. So, I would reach out to a few people I thought were attainable. 

This worked sometimes but most times it left me scrambling for sources and caused me to miss my first deadline. So, I had to get over myself and start reaching out to people. 

In addition I had to attack the deadlines set for me. I needed to reach out to people as soon as my story pitch was approved to ensure I got the desired sources. 

Lastly, I had to become obsessed with my beat. Signing up for art newsletters, stalking the Smithsonian’s pages for announcements and following every Black DMV artist I could think of. 

This made it easier for me to come up with pitches as the weeks went by because I was so in-tune with my beat. 

Meeting deadlines with the entire article meeting every standard was still a struggle for me by the end of the semester. Some weeks I found myself slipping into old habits or not reaching out to enough potential sources. 

However, this is the most I have written in one semester. This class, 101 magazine, and my fellowship at the Blade have pushed me to manage multiple deadlines. 

I am conducting 5-6 interviews a week now, and while it is very busy, I feel more than capable to enter the workforce. I have both the hard soft skills needed to excel. I look forward to hitting the ground running in May! 

This summer, I will be working as a web + social fellow at The Washingtonian and I believe that I will be able to acclimate quickly to the fast-paced environment. This class has really set a solid foundation for me and I hope to continue my growth this summer.

- OMARI FOOTE