Hi guys!

I’m Nina, the new Grad Ambassador for the Journalism-MA program here at Columbia. I’m 26 years old (my God, 30 is around the corner), I’m a Texan to my core, and I love Beyonce with all my heart.

I completed my Bachelor’s in Social Work at Baylor University nearly five years ago, and then went on to work in education for a bit– that is, until I got the ridiculous idea to go back to school. And 1000 miles away from home, no less.

I’m one semester into what is technically my dream life– bee-bopping around an actual city, covering government happenings, meeting protesters and parents, learning about everything that makes Chicago what it is. I’m a student again: broke, sleeping erratically, eating gyros at 2 am, catching live music at Jackson station, etc.

City council meetings are quite the experience, let me tell you.

As far as that first semester goes, the bottom line is I survived.

But, geez, talk about a whole new world.

The presence of an actual winter wouldn’t hit me until months later, of course, but getting used to public transportation was a doozy. After several apps and two weeks of aimless explorations, though, I figured out the gist of it and am now living and moving among Chicago’s hundreds of thousands of disgruntled transit passengers. I recommend a combination of Maps and the Ventra app, by the way.

So back to school… I should probably mention that our first semester was more like 18 weeks instead of 15…

A few of my classmates and I taking a much needed breather between classes.

Columbia’s graduate journalism program starts with three weeks (right before fall semester) of absolute immersion into the introductory elements of journalism and into the city of Chicago itself. We took two classes during the time– Foundations of Journalism and Journalism Culture: Trends & Traditions– in other words, the basics. Those three weeks were the start of a nonstop exploration of  the city’s 77 colorful neighborhoods covering press conferences, community events, protests, environmental causes, federal court cases, etc.

As intense as it was, this three-week “boot camp” period really leveled the playing field for those of us who didn’t come from majors directly related to journalism. Our instructors helped us create for ourselves a basic understanding of the profession, including a working knowledge of Chicago’s community and civic structures. Thanks to boot camp, my classmates and I got through the semester either collectively knowing exactly what we needed to know to get the day’s job done or collectively winging it and still managing to get it done. So, even though we were exhausted and nearly crawling to class by the time the semester’s final projects were assigned, months of struggle had bonded us together as a strange, dysfunctional family. Or something.

My first semester was easily the most challenging time in my life a long time, but it was full of amazing, priceless moments both in and outside of the classroom. I saw my fave Chance the Rapper in a sold-out White Sox stadium, and he brought out my old fave Kanye. I was in Wrigleyville with my classmates (a few thousand of my closest friends) when the Cubs won the World Series.

“Lit” is an understatement.

My goal for this semester is not just to survive it, but to really commit to this life I chose. Now that most of the general anxiety of being in a brand new place doing a brand new thing has subsided, I feel mentally more healthy and whole. I’m excited to tackle this semester and year with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to this place and its people, and to telling their stories as I figure out my own.

When I leave Columbia in December, I’ll have learned to use a DSLR camera and photo and video editing software, I’ll have the tools to start a journalism business and to do a little web development. I’ll have had a lifetime of experiences in 18 months. Hopefully, I’ll have figured out a little more about the world and my place in it.

What I do know is, the next 12 months is sure to be an awesome ride.