As I’m nearing the end of my time at Houston Community College, I would like to talk about why I do what I do, my plans for what happens next, and some of my thoughts about journalism.
I pursued Mass Media and Communications with the hopes to do journalistic work as I believe in the free press and their role in our society. Amidst a time of social media and misinformation, I was empowered to do my part in finding and reporting on the truth in a way people can understand so they can be a better informed citizen. A good journalist can only do such good if they are objective in their work and put aside their personal beliefs when citing the facts, and I tried to do so in my work during my time at HCC.
Soon, I will be transferring. Wherever I do transfer to, I carry a heavy burden for I would be the second child in my family to go to college. From parents who came from abroad to find a better life than what they previously had, my brother and I were privileged to be born and raised in a country where we have the opportunity to do anything, something which my parents hoped for when they heard the American Dream. A dream which I intend to fulfill for them, for the hard work they have gone through to put me and my brother to college in hopes we exceed what they have done, while remembering our roots.
At the place I transfer to, I’ll keep aiming to informing others with the facts of what’s happening around the country and in our local community. Now more than ever, people of all backgrounds should be well informed to better understand what their leaders say and do, and to be well informed about issues that affect them like the economy, immigration, and the programs of which they depend on. I will make this my priority in the future journalistic opportunities I may receive, and keep engaging with those affected to get the human side to the story. I believe a story cannot be made without the human connection as there’s always consequences that affect people in ways which if unnoticed, can hurt many.
A free press keeps those in power in check and to give power to the people, hence Sir Francis Bacon’s “Knowledge itself is power” phrase. If there’s one thing I want to say amidst the rambling I have just typed, never stay quiet when you see injustices or oppression. The more people know about the injustices of this world, the more accountable our leaders are to their actions. Be aware, and remember the people who helped us and the struggles they’ve gone through so their work does not die in vain. To disagree with others is to be human, but we also have to be better at understanding how other’s think, and to respect their opinions.
