My passion for storytelling has grown stronger over the years, as I continuously find myself being introduced to various facets of life. Much like an eager kinder-gardener, I enjoy the idea of show-and-tell. Show me a new perspective, and I will gladly tell you of something equally intriguing.
I suppose my current way of thinking came about after a few summer trips to Los Angeles, where I participated in several inner-city missions. One of which, impacted my life and career path on a large scale, Skid Row. Before roaming amid such an impoverished region, located only moments (ten or so miles) away from Hollywood’s finest, my eyes had never been directly exposed to a world of destitution. My initial reaction was to share my sightings with others. The urge to do so was not of bad intent, but to simply share the human experience by giving a voice to those facing the harsh reality of Skid Row daily.
Thus, my willingness and desire to share stories with the world is why I am pursuing a degree in Journalism at the University of Missouri. Monday marked the beginning of the first semester of my sophomore year, and my professor for Multimedia Journalism discussed briefly the importance of visuals within news stories. After being introduced to the objectives outlining this particular course, I felt the semester would be refreshing. I also reflected on my summer travels and how much potential my Skid Row experience carried if it were to be transformed into a news story. The mere visuals surrounding Skid Row were plentiful and the people who lived there had a wide variety of stories to tell.
Perhaps, I will eventually return to the area in the near future and use the insight which I gained from the course to create a powerful journalistic piece.
Ashleigh Laurynn 