As a
student at Michigan, I have found success by advocating for
myself and being a flexible learner, both of which have prepared me to work at NBC. On any given day, I might find myself becoming an expert on
identity theft, toxic chemicals, business practices, or government
policies—just to name a few topics of issues viewers bring the Investigative
Unit. As a psychology major at Michigan,
I walked into my economics class knowing nothing about economic principles. With careful attention during lecture, Khan
Academy online videos, and several GSI office hours, however, I was still able
to excel in the class. Similarly, last week I did not know the toxicity levels
of a certain chemical suspected on a construction site, but I found out by
contacting a local expert who explained the basics, which I then relayed to a
concerned tipster. Instead of leaving an
NBC viewer without answers, I came up with resources I could use to educate myself
with in order to help.
Additionally, my psychology courses at Michigan have emphasized maintaining and valuing the “client-therapist
relationship.” Although I am not a
therapist, I’ve found my interaction with tipsters is much like a client-therapist
relationship. Viewers seek us for help
with problems that take large tolls on them and their loved ones, nearly all
emotionally in some way. Even if I am
pressed for time on other tasks, it is important to devote my full attention to
a viewer calling with an issue that may take him/her 45 minutes to
discuss. Also, I might not have
personally experienced their troubles, but I still imagine myself in their
shoes in order to feel invested and therefore more forceful and thorough in how
I tackle and investigate the problem.
Great job on your hard work and diligence! It is very impressive how you use your resources and work hard to find a solution! Also, sometimes it can be hard to empathize with others, but it is amazing how you respect others and understand that everyone has different stories. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes can definitely give an insight to what might be affecting them. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteLearning how to educate yourself and find answers on your own is an invaluable skill to have, in my opinion! I think you made a really good point using the word "flexible" to describe the type of learner Michigan produces, because it is very true that in a school such as this one with so many people, it is up to everyone individually to seek out their own answers and pursue their interests aggressively, because it does not just happen on its own. The internship sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteNatalie,
ReplyDeleteI think what you're talking about is the best part about working in news. We constantly get to learn information every single day, and then we get to take that information and give it back to the audience in a comprehensible way. Always being a student is part of what I love about journalism the most!