Last month, I had the privilege of attending the Journalists Association of New York’s “Level Up Your Career” conference at Syracuse University. I have honestly never seen a university put so much technology and money towards the study of communication. The communication department at Newhouse was insanely impressive, with many unique classrooms, studios and workspaces that made me excited just to walk through them. It was refreshing to see a school where the power of communication is so openly and widely celebrated. While I definitely felt a small sting of jealousy being there, it also gave me a huge surge of inspiration that I didn’t realize I had been missing. This conference reminded me why I care so much about journalism and why I want to bring the insights, energy and motivation I gained back to RIT.

It also came at the perfect time. With everything happening in the current federal government and the way journalism is constantly being questioned or brushed off, as illustrated by the White House restricting access to the press secretary’s office, it feels more important than ever to remember why this field matters. There is so much noise and misinformation right now that being surrounded by people who still believe in honest reporting feels grounding and motivating.

I don’t know about you, but once October hits and that first snap of cold comes back, I start slipping into seasonal depression. I have lived in Rochester for about seven years now, and winter never gets easier. That is really the point of all this. You have to find something you are passionate about. It doesn’t need to be profound or life-changing. It can be something stupid. I have a lot of stupid interests that probably look silly from the outside, but they keep me going. It doesn’t even have to be one big passion, but a collection of small things that provide tiny sparks of joy on days that feel never-ending.

Once you find your thing, no matter how small it is, you become unstoppable. You can wake up for that thing and go to bed for that thing, and it can pull you through some of the hardest parts of the year. 

So whatever your version of that passion is, whether it’s a future goal or a stack of stupid little interests like mine, find it, hold onto it and follow it.