Gabby Guerard
@GabbyGuerard
Two years ago I sat in the fieldhouse attending a speaker series featuring Angelique Kidjo, with a handful of students. It was our first event to cover as journalists, and we were just as nervous as we were confused and inexperienced. Thursday, I sat in the Basketball Hall of Fame with 13 Hall of Fame inductees and professional ESPN reporters, and beside me sat the same person who had been there freshman year. Though this time, we were calm, confident, professional members of the media.
Being able to attend the jacket ceremony and the press conference was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Between fighting through the crowd to interview Ray Allen, to sitting down with Tina Thompson and talking about what it was like being a woman in a field so frequently dominated by men, I never stopped learning.
Some of my biggest takeaways: there is such a thing as a stupid question – don’t be that person who wastes everyone’s time by asking it. Hesitations will undoubtedly lead to missed opportunities, behind every accolade is a human being – never lose sight of that. Lastly, time goes by twice as fast when you’re two feet away from Ray Allen, so enjoy every second of it.
I have never felt more passionate and excited about being a sports journalism major. There is no doubt in my mind that is what I want to do every day for the rest of my life, and I am excited to put in the work to get there.