My Five College Years
“I found it important that they didn’t quit and that they celebrated that play positively and infectiously.”
My Midwest American Life continued.
It was a great start to my first semester at K-State. As well as falling in love with writing; it all began with falling in love with words. The J.M.C. School of Journalism’s Dr. Steve Smethers taught Intro to Mass Communications and Society. Visiting Kedzie Hall every three days, like most old college buildings, the smell of old wood is like walking through an antebellum building preserved for history. When I lived in West Hall for two years, my first year, I had good habits like getting up at a reasonable time to shower. Greeting professors by shaking their hands and looking them in the eye. My professors’ office hours were when I had one-on-one time with them to ask questions.
Over time, I became a very good note-taker, with accommodations for extra time on tests. My notes were recorded using what’s called a pulse pen. Success tools were established in my toolbox. During my first semester at university, I achieved a 3.3 grade point average, my highest grade point average ever. As a true freshman, I decided to take on more hours during my second semester at university. Taking a class on public speaking was intimidating, and the writing was challenging. It was a difficult class, but I passed it. In college, I quickly learned that no semester is the same as the next. Different courses, environments, and professors have different expectations. Because I had now believed in what I was doing, my confidence didn’t waver.
The start of my Sophomore year was challenging. Nine credits were taken, which was below the full-time threshold. Sociology was particularly difficult for me. The coursework required a lot of writing. As a result, I felt overburdened. The course, however, remained my focus. An academic warning is issued to students with G.P.A.s below 2.0. As a result, I was put on academic warning. Two Ds and a B. After working with Holton Hall, I achieved a B. During that time, a newly formed friend, Ryan Waldrip, approached me with a proposal. Together with two other people, I would move into a house with him.
Astonished, I was flattered.
We moved into our new home in 2011. I took several classes during the second semester of my sophomore year, including U.S. history part 2. This was an excellent piece for me! The autumn of 2011 was filled with challenges and triumphs. I received an A in Intro to Literature 251. As a student, I found it fascinating to write prompts about arts and the French bourgeoisie, the Renaissance of Paris becoming a ‘modern’ city in the late 18th and early 19th century Metropolitan. Since I was a young man, history has always fascinated me. I earned a B in Intro to U.S. History 1877. Throughout my college career, writing essays was a common theme. Taking an extra year of English writing classes would have resulted in me receiving an English writing minor. In the spring of 2011, I took the English Expository Writing 2 course, receiving a B out of three credits. It was that particular course that flipped a switch for me.
The story behind the story.
In part one of my memoirs, I discussed K-State football. K-State played their bitter rival, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in 1991. The Wildcats hadn’t scored a touchdown against their northern rivals in 7 years. In 1991, K-State scored 31 points against Nebraska. K.S.U. was cheered off the field despite losing 38–31 by Fans of Nebraska. That’s impressive. During that game, Paul Watson threw a late-game touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Smith. That particular touchdown mattered in terms of symbolism. I found it important that they didn’t quit and they celebrated that play in a very positive and infectious way. Several players lifted Smith in the air and gave him a high five. It was similar to the energy I had felt before.
I had been given a flair.
Similarly, I knew I could succeed. It will always be a journey for me regarding my writing. As my trajectory improved, I felt more confident. Another building block was added to my mathematics capabilities in 2012. In my academic career, I had never appreciated statistics until Statistics 100 in the fall semester of that year. My grade in the course was a solid B. One of the tutors in the course was Matt DeCapo, a long-time friend of mine who lives in Kansas City now. In 2014, I could build on the foundation I had laid in 2012. I was fully immersed in my major’s core classes by 2014, after 2013 brought some more learning challenges. By the end of the year, I was able to earn all 12 credits for my major. A retake of principles of advertising earned me a B. I also earned a B in computer-assisted reporting. It was called “C.A.R.” at the journalism school. Students used statistics and computer forensics to create a data-driven story. In my current career, I still use data, statistics, and visual maps to analyze events like gun violence in the United States. In 2022, I used the experience I gained in C.A.R. to write a report on the historical significance of poverty and racial inequality in Kansas City, Missouri. I produced, directed, and even anchored in Advanced Digital News that semester.
Then came the internship.
As a student in the Journalism School, Aribel, one of the head advisors, offered me an internship opportunity. As part of my graduation requirements, I had to complete an internship. K-State had one opening in its Sports Information program. A year would be the duration of the program. It was an excellent opportunity for me. In most athletic programs, from high school to college to professional, there is a Sports Information department. In K-State’s case, these departments gather and track historical records since leather helmets were the norm in the late 1800s. There was a time when men and women dressed to the nines for athletic events. As dandies, they referred to themselves! Once, K-State had an actual wildcat as a mascot. Our rivals kidnapped him from the University of Kansas in the 50s and 60s.
During my internship at K-State Sports Info, I learned about these stories. Being rewarded for setting up and taking down press conferences was common. One of the skills I learned in the program. Connect microphones and prepare the radio network for a coach and player post-game press conference. In exchange, we could interview coaches and players. On behalf of the athletic department, I developed a template that could be accessed visually on the website. This was in the form of a Q&A. I covered both men’s and women’s basketball games. Season 2014 of football. A bit of baseball. Taking part in this program was very rewarding. In the autumn of that year, I was in the new press box, which opened in 2013. Pictures and artwork of ticket stubs from big games throughout the program’s history decorated the white and purple walls. In its century-plus of history, the team has produced many great players and the best coach, Bill Snyder. The Spring of 2015 was the finest in terms of G.P.A. and rounding out my academic career. Taking several upper-level journalism courses, including Convergence Reporting 580, I earned a 3.5. Dr. Sam Mwangi from Kenya taught the course, which involved multimedia storytelling. Combining sound clips from an interview with visual representations of a geopolitical conflict, for example, in Kenya. After completing summer courses, I graduated in 2015 from Kansas State University. It has finally come to fruition, and I have made a complete turnaround. Suddenly, I remembered the psychologist from the 1990s who told me trades and a G.E.D. would be my only options. As I smiled, I thought of my late mother, who believed in me. I will never be able to forget the confidence she instilled in me. My career in journalism has allowed me to pay that forward not just in Kansas City but worldwide. In the summer of that year, I moved to Kansas City. It is still my home today. My journalism career started at K-State, but it did not end there.
Part 2 of a series on my Midwest American life.
A Positive Pledge
New American Journalism Project is an investigative newsroom based in Kansas City, Missouri. Dedicated in 2024 and beyond to bringing unique stories to form.
