I came to UChicago with the idea of making movies after college. It seemed natural that I’d major in film, but two quarters of six-percenter seminars left me wanting more in the way of practical experience, so I decided to intern with the Comms team as a sort of video editor. The position taught me a lot about Premiere Pro, Audition, and several more professional programs. I learned to organize project files, create proxies, check color corrections on multiple screens, and save frequently. I became more comfortable communicating with faculty and learned a bit about how the University’s run. More importantly, I learned that maybe video editing isn’t for me.
That’s where my hopes for the internship proved rather unambitious. Through my two or three ill-fated career plans this past year, the Comms team has connected me to a wide range of professionals in fields of my interest. My position has always felt like a fresh opportunity, even as I’ve changed majors from film to psychology to English, and I’ve never felt out of place or on the way out. It’s all been integral to that process of self-discovery I thought college would be, and I really do consider it my first good reason for coming here.
And now I have the pleasure of writing for this edition of Dialogo, something I suppose deserves explanation. Besides music, writing is the only thing I enjoy in its final form as well as creation. This new role with the Comms team has made me sure of that, and it’s even expanded my view of writing. Over the summer, I’ve worked with an editor for the first time. Further, I’ve had the experience of writing for a publication with its own goals and standards. Best of all, I’ve interviewed very talented, passionate people about their projects, and preserving their voices and visions within my own work has undoubtedly made me a better writer.
In closing, I’m very lucky to have taken this opportunity through the Odyssey scholarship. It’s been fundamental to my education and finding my way through the past year. I’m especially happy to be writing this summer, and I look forward to doing more with the Comms team in the future.