Emerging Media Summary

Take a Breath! The EM Master's Journey is Done!

I'm exhausted. There's no way around it. Four days after my last Capstone presentation and I can barely move. There's still more disbelief than relief, and someday I'll absorb the fact that my year-long master's program is done.

I have a master's degree! At 54 years old. And I did it in one year.

Humility is a virtue I cherish, but I'm proud of this accomplishment, even with a stumble during my Capstone team's final presentation. We adapted and overcame, though, and finished strong, and with a workable online marketplace app called CampusX.

There's no way I could have done this without my teammates Crysta Jones and Rohit Rammohan.

My final four classes — JRMC 7012, JRMC 7015, JRMC 8050 and JRMC 8350 — were more focused on reading and writing — my strengths — and allowed my Capstone team to tweak — or completely redesign — areas of our app.

Was it perfect? No. But considering where I (we) came from, it was an amazing accomplishment. It showcased all of our skills and demonstrated what three unique individuals can do if they work hard, trust and believe in each other.

I learned an incredible amount. Many new concepts, and others that built on my years of experience in journalism.

I look forward to see where this takes me because my journey isn't complete. It's just starting.

First Two Semesters: Work in Progress

When folks ask me what I did last summer, I tell them that I began the next phase of my life. I hadn’t even started taking classes seven months ago, but now I’m already two-thirds of the way to my Emerging Media Masters.

My narrative is different than my classmates. I’m older. I’ve done my dream job. I was a sports writer. A sports editor. I own and run a business.

But life changes amazingly fast these days. And I don’t want to be left behind. What I’ve learned might not work in the future, so I wanted — and needed — to update my skillset.

And I've tried to do it with optimism and alacrity. My first four Emerging Media classes — NMIX 6110, NMIX 6111, JRMC 7010 and JRMC 7111 — stretched my mental capabilities, forced me out of a comfort zone and made me look at processes and work habits through a new light.

My next four classes — NMIX 6310, NMIX 7005, NMIX 7110 and JRMC 8016 — helped me grow those skills and added new ones. I’m continue to learn terms and skills that I’ve always been able to leave to others.

I look forward to the next five months and completing the Capstone Project with the CampusX team. The pace will continue to be brisk, the curriculum will be tough and the grind will be a daily challenge.

But I know I’ll see an improved version of myself — as an entrepreneur, employer and worker — in May.