MNO with Sports Communication Emphasis Boot Camp 2013: Ethan Joyce

by Ethan Joyce

"What was my boot camp experience like? Well, let me tell you this: I walked into Newhouse the first day, and I was absolutely terrified. Here was a group of strangers that I didn't know. And, according to what I had heard about Newhouse, these were the best and brightest of the nation."

 

I just couldn't figure out why in the hell they would include me. I came in with a journalism degree, but I felt very underprepared for the MNO program. I looked around at my future classmates and shivered. Here was DJ, who used to work at the Salt Lake Tribune. There was Katrine, who came from a world news organization. And, last but not least, there were the faces on the wall—Costas, Tirico, Thamel and Albert, to name a few. They were all staring at us as we toured Newhouse, all of them recognized for their prestigious careers. I could feel the stares in the pictures putting a weight on my shoulders…weight I knew I couldn't handle.

 

I mean, there I was. Ethan Joyce, from Sandy Ridge, N.C. I had never lived anywhere else. Even at Appalachian State University, where I got my degree, I had only worked for the student paper. I had no other experience. I came here because I had no career direction.  How would I match up with these guys? I didn't want to be compared to them. I had no right to be here. I couldn't believe I got in.

 

Luckily, that was where boot camp came in. It taught me that I belonged—and, more importantly, that I should trust in my abilities.

 

The teachers here have helped me so much. I learned something new every day, and that over-generalizes it. It was more like every hour. And those classmates who terrified me on the first day? They weren't so bad either. When I came in that first day, I felt I would be competing against all of them. I couldn't have been further from the truth. These people that surrounded me were the best and brightest, and they were bringing me new perspectives that I never would have considered before.

 

Don't let me fool you; it was pure hell sometimes. I was homesick. I missed my family. I never got to see my fiancee during the day. Sitting through class every weekday for eight hours was tough. Now imagine having homework to do every afternoon afterwards, and that doesn't even include article assignments.

 

But, we all got through it, and we all got stronger—and closer. Just remember, no matter what you do and no matter how tired you are, you have to push through it. And everyone of your classmates is doing the same thing. Use them to lean on because no one understands what you are going through more than them.

 

You are here for only one year, and you have to cash in on this opportunity as much as possible. The only thing that is going to hold you back here, and in the real world, is you.

 

I know that boot camp, and my year so far, has made me a better writer already. That being said, I still have room for huge improvement. I will never be satisfied with anything I write. But I cannot imagine where I would be now without my boot camp and Newhouse experience. For the first time in my career, I feel like I am a professional journalist. Boot camp is something that you should fear. But, don't be afraid of the workload. You can make it through that.

 

Be afraid of squandered opportunities. Don't ever think you can't. I promise that you can. And I hope that boot camp is everything you need it to be. It was the kick in the ass I needed to realize I could actually achieve my dreams.

 

Hopefully, you will get that too. Good luck—especially on the daily news quizzes. Man, I hated those things.