If you guessed CNN and ESPN columnist L-Z Granderson,
then you are correct!
Talk about hands-on experience! L-Z Granderson came to visit my Media Revolutions class yesterday and was more than happy to answer the many questions we all had for him. He's written so many columns for CNN and ESPN, and he seems really passionate about what he does. If there's anything you should do with your life, you should do what you love, and L-Z Granderson is a great example of that!
Of course, he had his trials. There were many people who told him "no" simply because of his sexual orientation. The key is not to take "no" for an answer. If you have a passion for something and know that it's what you want to do with your life, you have to work for it. There may be times in your life where you may not get the answer you'd want to hear, whether it be from a college, a job, etc, etc. But don't let it bring you down! Keep going! The only way you're ever going to achieve something is if you keep working at it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
If you're thinking about Journalism as a career, or even just becoming a Media/Journalism major, you're going to have to listen to a lot of "nos". Not everyone is going to like your work, but if you're passionate about it, you have to try not to get discouraged and stay true to yourself. Remember there's always room for improvement, but improvement and change are two different things! Don't change who you are, what you stand for, or how you create. Just make sure that you are doing the best that you can so that you can progress and be the best "you" you can be!
This can basically go for anything you want to do in life. If you work hard and stay true to yourself, you'll achieve great things. Saint Mike's really encourages that, and that's why they're constantly bringing professionals into our lives and classrooms. They want us to know that no matter how hard things may get, there are plenty of success stories from people who started out at the very bottom but continued to work hard and pursue their passion despite all of the "nos" they received. So many people spend much of their lives hearing nothing but "no" (just think of JK Rowling), but as long as you keep doing your personal best, that "yes" will come and it will be worth it :)
On a side note, it's really great to get informed about what's happening in our world, or even just our country, and reading opinion columns is a fun and interesting way to get that kind of information. L-Z does a great job, so if you're interested, read a couple of his CNN or ESPN columns. You won't regret it!
