Settled and The City

Nic Barajas


The year since the institute has been a wonderful, amazing one. I took my first cross-country train trip in April, visiting some of my favorite friends and cities, including some other former Institute students — it's true what they say, we are all family.

In August, I finally became a full-time employee here at the Times, and in September moved to a great apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Several close friends have also moved to the city, which I cannot suggest highly enough. Encourage all your best friends to move to your town. (Having a town like New York helps.)

And of course, I got to greet a new group of students to the Institute family earlier this month. They're some pretty fantastic people, and I'm not just saying that because one of them might have video of me at karaoke.

Lessons in labor, loss and love

Matt Lewis


Almost a year later and what do I have to show for it? A degree in journalism, a job as an editor of a weekly community newspaper (theCoolidge Examiner), friends I will never forget and an experience that I will always cherish. I'm talking of course about the New York Times Student Journalism Institute that was held in Tucson, Ariz. from Jan. 2-12. 


I graduated from the UA with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in geography. I promptly began searching for jobs in Arizona in the media industry. The offerings were few and far between, but I landed myself an interview with two companies: Wick Communications and Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. Wick is located in Southern Arizona, Sierra Vista, to be precise. They have32 newspapers and 23 specialty publications in 13 states – including Arizona, California, Oregon and Colorado. It sounded like a great place to apply. I wanted to apply for a job they had in Half Moon Bay, Calif. near San Francisco. After applying and interviewing with them, they asked for more clips. I complied and sent them some. I never heard back from them, though. I then applied at Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. for a job as an editor of a weekly community newspaper. It was mostly on a whim, because I had never envisioned myself being an editor in the past. The same day I interviewed with the company I was offered a job; but not just any job  – one with power and responsibility; one with benefits and a salary; and one with a big office.

Life was pretty good, but as always with the cyclical nature of yin and yang, my left came back down to Earthly levels when my mother passed away after a one year, ten month battle with breast cancer. It was a very sobering event after the intoxication of the spoils I had received. I began giving extra hugs and saying "I love you" more to my friends and family. You never know when someone's time will come, including our own, so I am a true believer in being as happy as we can each and every day, because it could be our last. I elected to live at home to be with my family; there is nothing in my life I value more. 


My dad has been my guardian angel, saving me from the grief disguised as mental strife. Most people want to get out of their house as soon as possible, and I suppose that's why I went down to Tucson for school instead of staying in Phoenix, but I was sure glad that my dad let me move back in after I graduated. I think we needed each other. I have a unique and special relationship with my family, because unlike Failure to Launch, my dad said I could stay as long as I like. 


I know eventually someday (maybe even soon) that it will be the right time to move out on my own, especially since I've been serious with my girlfriend Caitlin, for two years now, and we've talked about getting married after she graduates. That's another thing I've learned since the institute, is managing long-distance relationships; not just with her but with my friends from the institute, college, and people I've known in other times and capacities. I've utilized Facebook, e-mail, and other means of keeping in touch. Our lives are nothing more than the people we know, the places we go and the things we do while we're there. 

From clueless to "sorta clueful"

Hi everyone,

I'll admit something to you right (write) away... Up until about last week I didn't know the first thing about blogs. How to set up a page, how to format pages, uploading posts and photos--all a mystery to me. As you can now see, I've figured out the first thing, and maybe even the second.

Thankfully this blog isn't about creating a fancy page. This blog is a chance for us Institute oldies (now an entire year, after all) to catch up. So let's get caught up. Thanks for your posts!

-Jamie

Africa to Arkansas to Africa, and back to Nebraska

Jamie Klein

The summer after the Institute I traveled to Zambia, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso for a science writing class. Along with two classmates and our professor, I had the chance to interview farmers in small villages (with a translator), government officials in big cities and food scientists in laboratories. The trip was amazing!

After returning to Nebraska for a week I was off again… this time for Arkansas. I interned on the state desk of the Democrat-Gazette where I covered the Albert Pike flood and the adventures of several small towns. I still miss Little Rock. 

Last month I was back in Zambia to help with a conference for my internship. I’m now an intern for INTSORMIL (a research organization that focuses on global food security). I had a blast running into people I met in the summer. On the way home I stopped in France and Romania to visit cousins because... Well, why not? 

Now that I’m back stateside, things have slowed down for me. Just one semester of classes separates me from the “real” world. I’m headed to St. Petersburg this summer for an internship and we’ll see what happens from there.

Thanks to everyone for writing! 

"Here Jamie, try Ethiopian coffee." "Oh, OK, sure!" 

Very strong stuff! This is from May.

On a tour of a brewery in Zambia in December.

   

A Curveball

Daniel Woolfolk


I was a photographer at the institute, but that's far from where I now am.
As soon as a graduated, I took a writing position in Northern New York, which meant I had to reject a photo internship for an agriculture magazine in Colombia.


My beat is Fort Drum, an Army post with 10th Mountain Division, among the most deployed units in the country. A major reason I got the job is that I was in the Army for four years and know the culture.


The stories I cover range from family events to deaths and PTSD. But a major part of what I cover is business and economic news, especially related to housing. We are in a bit of a crunch that will only get crunchier, so I really use some of the skills I gained while focusing on business and economic reporting at Columbia.


And I do miss photo, but there are few things I would want to do aside from military reporting.

The "almost" full circle

Dalina Castellanos


Funny how a year can bring you (almost) full circle. At the institute I was unemployed and living on the Navajo Reservation, freelancing in the snow. A year later, I'm doing pretty much the same thing but under the title of "Staff Writer." Not that 2010 didn't take me to some pretty incredible places... Diego and I went to New York to meet up with Don, Troy, Jose and Caitlin and were hosted by Daniel for a couple of days there. The NAHJ conference in Denver was nothing short of incredible with a mini-NYTSJI reunion and plenty of fun with street walkers and World Cup games.


I've been lucky enough to experience some amazing things out on the Navajo Nation — medicine men and sweat lodges are as intriguing as they sound — and have been able to grow as a reporter. Covering a sovereign nation's government during an election year is tough cookies for a young reporter, but I can't complain.


When I'm not working, I check in with Veronica, Stephen and Amanda on gchat to retain my connection with the "other world" as often as I can, or I'm out walking my puppy, Pantunflas.

Traveling the world

Elvia Malagon


This past year has probably been one of the best years of my life. The highlights besides attending the New York Times Student Journalism Institute and meeting all of you would be traveling to Chile and Japan. I went to Chile in May with one of my journalism classes (Media in Latin America: Messages and Moguls: Dictators and Democracy) to learn about the media in Latin America. I loved every single part of that trip! It was roughly only a two-week trip but I am still thinking about that trip today. I did crazy things I normally wouldn't do such as go horse back riding in the Andes and run into the Pacific Ocean. I have always been in love with Latin America but this trip inspired me to try to do more traveling in Latin America - hopefully one day as a journalist. In June I got the opportunity to travel to Japan to learn about the media through the Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition. Like Chile, this trip was incredible in its own way. It felt like if I was in a different world. We did a very touching tour of Hiroshima and got a chance to speak with a woman who survived the atomic bombings. My trip to Japan is something that I will definitely never forget.


In between I had an exciting summer internship at the Courier-Journal in the charming Louisville, Ky. This semester I have been interning at the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire in Washington, D.C. I've written some pretty cool stories. I'm still waiting on my personal invite to the White House from the Obamas. Of course all good things must come to an end. My college days are numbered since next semester will be my last at Indiana University. I will be working as the features/investigative editor at the Indiana Daily Student. I graduate in May - wish me luck!