JESSICA DaSILVA

Yesterday, I was having some girl talk with Hilary Lehman, a fellow budding journalist. To clarify, “girl talk” for us usually encompasses chatting about journalism.

Anyway, yesterday she asked if I knew a particular journalism student who had just graduated. When I said I did, Hilary told me that even after graduating, this student still did not have any published clips.

“WHAT?” I answered, shocked.

“I KNOW!” Hilary replied.

“BUT HOW?” I said.

“I have no idea!” Hilary said.

This was honestly the biggest shock I’ve had in a while. In being the type of student who has spent 40 hours a week (most of those at night) working at my school newspaper and who spends almost 60 hours a week at my internship, it seems unbelievable that a journalism student could go through four years of education and NOT get published.

I remember this certain student, and I remember seeing her at some J-school club events, but never was she one of the recognized bylines of The Alligator or The Gainesville Sun. I also stumbled across her blog, which I’m sure will get her in trouble with her freelance job soon enough - she blogs about stories she’s covering while she covers them. I usually complain about college journalists not “getting” the Internet… she just doesn’t seem to get anything.

I like to think the majority of journalism students aren’t this clueless - that they at least get published every so often, but I have a bad feeling that I’m wrong.

I work hard. In fact, I work my ass off. During the school year, I barely have a social life and I consider sleeping, showering and eating activities to which I devote my free time. But I know where I want to go, and I know it’s not going to be easy to get there.

There are thousands of journalism students with the same dreams as me, and I need to prove myself to employers that they should hire me because I’m a damn good journalist with the passion of a million eager journalism students.

Working hard and striving for excellence seem to be common sense to me, so I guess I just don’t understand how other students could settle for anything less. You can’t let hard work and a lack of sleep deter you from your passion. I think those students will realize soon enough the benefit of the tradeoff. By that time, I’ll be far ahead.

I might be tired, but I’m unstoppable.