2018 Year In Review: Voleer the Reporter
I’ve learned many lessons in 2018 and covered many events as
a reporter and a journalist.
Initially, this blogpost was going to be ‘My Top 5 Moments as
A Reporter’ but after reviewing what I covered in 2018, there were actually ELEVEN!
So, let’s begin!
Here are my Top 11 Moments as A Reporter in 2018:
#11 National Adoption Day celebration at UF
November was National Adoption Month and the University of
Florida’s law school held a ceremony for families and the their newly-adopted
children.
I interviewed the Pope family where they adopted three boys
within one year and welcomed one of the three boys into the family in November.
The family had an ‘Incredible’ time welcoming their newest
son, Jeffrey Pope (middle) to the family.
Watch the video here:
#10 Essay Contest Winner at Caring and Sharing Learning School
This story will definitely tug at your heart strings.
The founder of Queen Vision Ministries, Sabriena Williams, surprised
2nd grader Daijah Williams at the Caring and Sharing Learning School
after winning an essay contest.
Daijah’s mother, Sabrina Williams, submitted the essay describing
why her daughter was deserving of the award for a day at the spa.
Daijah’s advice at the end of the video below left me inspired and I’m sure it will do the same for
you.
#9 U.S. Olympian in Ocala
Skating Anyone?
Ocala native and U.S. Olympian speed skater Erin Jackson
visited her hometown in July to skate with students who attend the Boys & Girls Club at the
Skate-A-Way South skating rink in Ocala.
I interviewed students and the speed skater herself about
what the event meant to them.
I put on some skates and hit the skating rink myself lol. I
definitely wished I knew a thing or two about skating before I went but everything
went well 😊
Watch the video here:
#8 International Urban Artist ‘Bik Ismo’ paints mural in
Gainesville
Renowned International Urban Artist and Puerto Rican native
Joshua Santos Rivera, also known as Bik Ismo came to Gainesville to showcase
his artistry.
Rivera is also known as ‘The Chrome Master’ and after seeing
his previous artwork, that title suits him well.
Rivera spray-painted many chrome-like murals of animals and
this year he spray-painted a gator in Downtown Gainesville.
To see the Chrome Gator yourself, visit 18 Southwest 1st
Avenue.
Watch the video here:
#7 Two Dixie County residents prepare for Hurricane Michael
A very touching story where two women worked together to
bring food back to their county in preparation for Hurricane Michael.
As North Central Florida residents prepared for the hurricane,
Dixie County residents Sherry Coffill (right) and Terrie Ortega (left) traveled to a food bank
in Alachua County to gather and bring back food to the people in their county.
This story shows the power of helping others in their time
of need.
#6 Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the Cotton Club Museum &
Cultural Center
An historic building is finally preserved in Gainesville.
This ribbon-cutting ceremony brought hundreds of people to the event, even the
daughters of B.B. King and Bo Diddley.
The name of the building was derived from the Cotton Club in
Harlem after musician Sarah McKnight purchased the building around the 1950s.
The board of directors for the Cotton Club have been working
on restoring the building since 2003.
The link below is the recap video of the ribbon-cutting
ceremony.
Watch the video here:
WOW! You made it to number 5! Here’s a virtual high-five!
Let’s keep it movin’!
#5 First time covering elections (Midterm Elections 2018)
As a journalist covering news, most journalists/reporters say
covering the elections is our Super Bowl.
I was assigned to cover the State House District 10 race
which covers five counties in North Central Florida.
I created a video where I interviewed each candidate about
their background and their platform.
Watch the video here:
#4 First time going live in the WCJB-TV studio
Many repetitions I’ve done for stand-ups in the field prepared
me for the moment to go live in the studio.
I’ve been getting comfortable going live in the studio ever since and I’m
fortunate for every opportunity to do so.
The story I covered was about the construction that was
underway for an eco-friendly park in Gainesville.
The eco-friendly facility is a waste sustainable management
strategy to allow people to be innovative with recycled material.
Watch the video of the studio report here:
Watch the video of the news package here:
#3 Covering breaking news of the death of two Gilchrist
County deputies
In April, I covered the breaking news of two Gilchrist
County deputies who were shot and killed while eating lunch in a restaurant in
Trenton.
The community came together to honor Deputy Taylor Lindsey
and Sergeant Noel Ramirez.
A memorial service was created for them in the city of Bell
to remember their lives.
Watch the video here:
#2 Writing for the Gainesville Guardian and Zion Magazine
The love of writing was the reason I fell in love with
journalism.
In 2018, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to write
for a newspaper and a magazine in Gainesville.
In February, I started writing for an online magazine called
Zion Magazine and in August, I started writing for the Gainesville Guardian.
I’ve written some pieces I’m proud of thus far. I’m glad I
overcame self-doubt and told myself that I am worthy to be a writer and a
journalist.
2018 was the year I got a hold of my passion again—and I won’t
let go.
Read below to a few articles I’ve written in 2018.
#1 National Association of Black Journalists Conference in
Detroit
Being in the presence of other journalists in such a
historic city like DETROIT, you already know this was a big moment for me in
2018.
I’ve learned great tips from journalists across the world
and left each workshop I’ve attended feeling inspired.
The inspiration even made me create a ‘Write a blogpost
everyday challenge’ while I was attending the NABJ conference and I’m glad I
did.
Read all of my blogposts below documenting my time at the
conference.
YOU MADE IT!
Thank You so much for taking the time to read
this blogpost 😊 It really means a lot to me.
2018 was a great year; now let’s make 2019 an even better
one!
No comments:
Post a Comment