Reporter's Without Borders

Someone asked me a great question the other day, and it was probably the best question that anyone's ever asked me in the history of my short life. "What do you want to do with your journalism degree?" Alas, I have yet to even begin the first of my four years that it takes to obtain my honours diploma, but it's never too early to start thinking about what you want in life.
I don't have an answer to that question, but rather, that I have many answers that could go along with it. I hope that whatever I do involves a lot of writing, which makes working for a magazine company sound like a great idea. I think I would do really well in something like Cosmopolitan magazine because I have an interest in everything that the magazine represents. 
Another path I might be interested in taking is writing for a travel magazine. Companies will 

actually hire journalists to be flown (or cruised) all over the world and write about their experience at certain resorts, beaches, and restaurants. I think being a resort critic would probably be one of the greatest jobs in the entire world. 
Then there's my dream of being a writer for a film or television production. I would love to sit around a table all day surrounded by intelligent and creative people while coming up with scripts and ideas for the latest season of a show like The Office. I think that I would be really good at it.
But there's something more than all of these ideas combined that I cannot get out of my head. My friend Shayna recently announced that she's considering moving to Prague to attend film school, where she can work on documentaries. Documentaries! What a fascinating job that would be. Could you imagine working for a company like National Geographic while exploring the rain forests in South America? Or traveling to the west coast of Australia to work on a story about a new species of squids? I think documentaries are the coolest.
My ideal job would be to sit down and talk to people and interview them while educating others. I like asking questions, getting answers, and picking people's brains. And I would want to uncover interesting subjects like cults, human trafficking, and drug wars. I don't think there's anything that a person couldn't do in their life if they were determined enough. There are plenty secrets to success, but this is what I think. There are billions of people in this world, and plenty of jobs that need to be done. Someone has to fight for justice, so why not you? Someone has to fight fires and rescue families from burning buildings, so why not you? And someone has to come up with new inventions to make the world a more innovative place, so why not you? Absolutely anything is possible, as long as you're willing to work hard for it. While luck may be on the side of some people, those who become true successes in today's world were not handed everything they have. If you're willing to work, you can be and do anything you want.

Once upon a time, my gender had the responsibility of finishing high school, then getting married, having children, and having a career that meant cooking and cleaning. Unfortunately, there are still some places and people in the world where this type of lifestyle still seizes. I want to take advantage of everything that those in the past sacrificed in order for me to have today. I can vote, drive a car, and have a career. I can do anything I want, and I refuse to be one of those people who waste their freedom by having low goals. No matter what kind of family you come from, what kind of neighborhood you were raised in, or how much money you have in your bank account, you can be anything.
I'm really lucky that I have so many people around me who are full of encouragement. My family was so proud of me when I got into the University of King's journalism program. My best friend Emily has collected every article I've ever had published and congratulates me every time one comes out in the local paper. And I have two gentlemen in my life who are professional journalist's who are always giving me advice, ideas and pep talks on writing and the field of journalism. And having you reader's follow my blog adds up to a wonderful support team that is just an extra push on my journey through the road to success. I'm lucky to have all of these people in my life, and it makes me not sad about those who used to be in my life who aren't anymore, because they're the ones missing out.
I want to make people laugh even when they're having a bad day. I want to educate people on issues that aren't commonly talked about by exposing them to the world. I want to make a difference by giving people a voice who have something to say. I want to talk to people like Erin Brockovich, Lisa Ling and Elizabeth Gilbert. I want to dive into the unknown and explore every corner of the world. I want to write novels that allow reader's to learn about a world that goes far beyond whatever city or country they grew up in. I want to make people think in different ways and see things in another perspective.
Someone has to do it, so why not me?