More good news from our outstanding NPC Scholarship Students!
My Shadowing Experience
by Shelly Westervelt, NPC Scholarship Student
When my alarm first went off that Tuesday morning during my spring break from the University of Florida, I definitely questioned why I had signed up to do such an early shift. I left my house around 1:45 a.m. and arrived at the NBC-2 News station around 2:30 a.m. When I first arrived, I talked to Rachel Pierce (NBC-2 News morning anchor), the person I would be “shadowing.” During this time, we got to know each other better while also discussing the fundamentals of broadcasting. From sitting in the hair and makeup room to sitting behind the camera on set, I got the full experience of a news anchor’s role. Not to mention, I also got a taste of the behind-the-scenes action where the producers and directors worked quickly to make sure everything came out well for a successful morning show.
I received lots of good advice, and I now have a better understanding of what it takes to not only perform certain roles such as the producer or anchor positions, but also what it takes to produce the morning show (there are many more people involved than I expected).
After the experience, I left the station feeling reassured about my decision to shadow Rachel Pierce. I thank her and the Press Club of Southwest Florida for the great opportunity. This experience has also opened my eyes to ways I can start preparing for my career while still on campus. After spring break, I plan to get more involved within the Journalism school and find new ways to set myself up for success.
Photo: NPC Scholarship Student Shelly Westervelt (UF) with NBC-2 News Morning Anchorwoman & NPC Board Member Rachel Pierce (March 2018)
Twenty-six Wartburg Students Visit Immokalee for a Service Project
by Maria Munguia-Cortes, NPC Scholarship Student
The 2018 Spring Break Service Trip to Immokalee, Florida, was planned for March 2 – March 9. I was scared. There would be a total of 26 participants, and I was leading the trip with my two co-leaders, Yecenia Andrade and Micah Sieg, along with our advisor Kelsie Durscher.
Last year the Wartburg Spring Break Service Trip was a huge success, with 17 people, and I felt comfortable managing that size group. Due to the success of that venture, Wartburg College Service Trips really encouraged me to pursue a bigger trip, especially with the recent damage from Hurricane Irma. I was worried, and I was afraid that the visit to Immokalee would not be successful with so many people. I was in for a huge surprise.
The whole purpose of the Wartburg Service Trip to my hometown is to raise awareness about immigration and farm worker rights, and how child education is in the middle of all of that. We did service at Rural Neighborhoods, which is a nonprofit that helps remodel homes for migrant communities and people who need the assistance.
At Catholic Social Services, we learned about the soup kitchen there and how much it helps the community of Immokalee, as well as the other services that it provides for immigrant families. We also visited the Guadalupe Center, where we worked with the elementary students and the high school students, and we heard from a college tutor. This put things into perspective for the participants because they realized how big an impact the Guadalupe Center has in Immokalee. The biggest thing about Immokalee is how large of a farm working community it is. Immokalee provides 90 percent of the tomatoes to the United States. WOW. If that does not blow your mind, I don’t know what will. Learning about farm worker rights was a huge thing for me because the injustice is so real. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers helped educate the participants about the severity of the injustice.
When I think about going on a service trip my thoughts go straight to service-learning. I think a service trip should be a “win-win” situation. I believe that you should not just be giving your time but engaging your heart fully, because that’s when change occurs.
All 26 participants were molded into new persons because knowledge is powerful. With 26 new minds knowing about Immokalee, I felt as though the word about my small town would just continue to grow.
From small town Waverly, Iowa, we ventured out to my small home town, Immokalee, Florida. Everything that occurred on the trip is too powerful to explain. The magic of change produces an indescribable feeling.