Is it really over?

It's 8:42 in the morning-I am still not packed for departure on this last morning with the PSNE Online Reporter Project. Breakfast is at 9 and although I am excited for eggs and bacon, the breakfast means the project is coming to an end.

I don't want to leave. This experience has been one of the most rewarding and beneficial ones to date. At WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh I learned the odds and ends of the broadcast world. Now, I am able to say I know how to report online, shoot and edit video for online, and take photo's and still frames from our captured video.

Each day there was a new challenge for us and a new lesson. Friday's lesson to me- came from Ron Fourniers presentation. As the AP Bureau Cheif for Washington- he knows a little bit about journalism- oh, and politics too. His lesson was that people drive politics, and politics drive people crazy! It's true, I know I have had a distaste for politics because it is full of opinion and everyone believes they are right. I think it was nice to hear Fournier speak, especially after writing a story on him for my first assignment.

Saturday's lesson I learned from Butch Ward, Managing Director for Poynter Institute. He instilled in the audience to stick with journalism even if it is such a changing industry. If you love it-why do something else? Again, I completely agree!

Journalism is an amazing field that has endless possiblities. I will use this experience to further my journalism career and hopefully someday be apart of this conference as an attendee or even a mentor!

Thanks to all the mentors and Sandra and Janet for making this possible.