I remember sitting under a bus stop with my mom and three younger brothers in the rain until the storm went away. We were homeless with nowhere to go. My dad had passed away, my older brother was incarcerated, and my mom was a gang member struggling with addiction and medical issues. I was a kid who didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t believe the world was so cruel that not one person stopped to ask if we were okay or needed help. It broke my heart to see my family suffer, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
That moment opened my eyes and made me wonder how many other people were left out in the cold. It propelled me to one day change that. The adversity I faced after that only fueled my vision, but I tried to accomplish it in the wrong ways, making things worse, including my own situation. I ended up in prison, where at one point there was no hope, dreams vanished and nightmares appeared. Then, one day, hope came back with redemption. I realized that many of us here made bad decisions with limited knowledge and choices. A dream of mine is finally coming into existence from a place where they rarely exist. The California prison system has taken the initiative to reform incarcerated citizens through Cal State University. I am honored to have been offered the opportunity to enroll in San Diego State University’s Journalism and Media Studies bachelor program. The knowledge I have gained so far has given me a profound understanding of the importance of this degree. This will allow me to shed light on the hidden places that don’t usually get light but have so much to offer society. Many stories are left out, especially in the neighborhoods where I’m from, the ghetto parts of our society. All my life, all I wanted was to be seen and heard, but no one took the time to stop and ask if we were okay.
My dream is not only to share my story but to share everyone’s story. I will uplift those abandoned voices so they can be heard. I am a new type of journalist with a special beat that needs to be seen so we can demonstrate the virtues of a team. No one should be left behind or in the blind.
The public deserves to be informed from all perspectives so we can make the best decisions for humankind. I am a new type of journalist.
So true that so many stories are left out or ignored. It’s so easy to ignore the real lives of so many that create situations that any person would find challenging to navigate. Congratulations on your success in the SD State enrollment. I hope you’ll find the challenges of writing rewarding and the potential to tell so many stories that go unheard.