There really is no way to sugar coat it, the amount of anxiety that I was feeling prior to the start of my internship at WIVB-TV was through the roof. But the funny thing is, that changed quickly.
Nerves are always present when you are starting something new, especially when it is what you plan on doing for the rest of your life. I really did not know what to expect to start, and I think that is what made me so nervous.
Then came day one.
I got to the station about 10 minutes early and noticed that the main lobby door was locked. My first thought was about the story Dr. Irwin had told us in class about the intern who could not get into their building. I remember thinking to myself, “of course this happens to me.” I calmed myself down quickly, though, and remembered that I had an ID card on me, and saw an area by the parking lot that had an ID scanner. I made my way over to the door and eventually found my way in.
Already feeling anxious, thinking that I could not enter the building just made things a bit worse. But, boy was I so wrong.
I walked into the sports department at WIVB, where I would be spending most of my time during the internship. I was greeted by Nick Filipowski, who I had met the week prior when we made out a schedule, and by Jenna Harner who I was meeting for the first time. From that moment on, all of the nerves just disappeared and I felt like I was in the right place, like I was a part of the team even after saying no more than 10 words to them.
That night Jenna and Nick made me feel right at home. Jenna invited me right next to her desk and showed me some of the programs that we would be using. Nick asked how classes were going so far and then expressed how he wished he had Fridays off while in college. Later that night I went out with Jenna to some high school football games to gather highlights for the news later that night. All in all, I would say that we were in the car for about a solid hour together, but it did not feel like that. We had a great conversation that ranged from her career to our favorite teams, to cooking. It was perfect considering that I’m not the biggest fan of silence, and after that, it was like magic, all of my nerves had just disappeared.
I’ve worked three more shifts after that first night, and each one tops the other. The environment is one that just makes you feel like you belong, so much to the fact that I was offered a slice of pizza on my first late shift. I can never thank Jenna and Nick enough for making me feel so welcomed. I will forever be grateful to them for that.
As the rest of the semester goes on, I know that it can and will only get better. I’m looking forward to building the relationships that I have already made with Nick and Jenna. To try and learn as much as I can from them, and carry that with me in the future.
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