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Reflections

Finding comfort in being uncomfortable

I went into this program not really knowing what to expect. I had a story pitch that I was excited about and I was confident in my ability to tell it. The only thing was that I had never talked to the subject directly at that point. My mentor and I used all the background information we knew to structure interview questions that we felt good about, but we came away from the interview concerned that it didn’t fit the theme of the project.

We were already interviewing late as it took place on Tuesday afternoon, and we suddenly found ourselves back at square one. I ended up finding another subject off a suggestion from one of my fellow mentees, but I wasn’t able to interview him until Wednesday afternoon. While everyone else began editing their audio, I was pretty much still waiting to begin working.

The new subject ended up being one of my favorite interviews that I have ever done as a journalist, but it was still tough working from behind, while seeing everyone else making great progress on their respective stories.

Despite that, I was never discouraged. All of the mentors and mentees kept me going by reminding me that I wasn’t the first person this has happened to. At the end of it all, I came out with a story that I couldn’t be more proud of and that I hope does justice to my subject.

Kyle, my mentor, was invaluable to this week. He made sure that I focused on all the little details, which was exactly what I needed because I tend to be more of a big picture type of person.

Next Generation Radio is about going out of your comfort zone, and throughout this week I learned that it’s not only about that, but rather adapting to a fast-paced environment and finding comfort in being uncomfortable.

By Andres Soto

Andres Soto is a junior at California State University, Northridge and assistant sports editor for The Sundial. He has an associate degree in journalism from Mt. San Antonio College, where he was the sports editor for SAC Media. Andres’ ultimate goal is to be a sportswriter for The Athletic or the Los Angeles Times. Andres grew up in Highland Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles. His earliest memories include watching the Lakers win three consecutive NBA Finals, which shaped his interest in sports from an early age.