The Scholarship Essay (Did I win? Hell yes!!!)--Spring ’03

Essay

By Mark Bryant

I have always been destined to be a writer.

During my years as a sports writer and editor at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, CA, I was accepted into the first Sacramento Bee Journalism Workshop. This was a “proving ground” for writers and journalism careers of tomorrow.

This was an “all-star” crew of sorts, consisting of student writers from the surrounding Sacramento area. One of our tasks was to perform a short news feature on local political figure Lloyd Connelly. My article was used as an example for the class. I knew then that my enthusiasm and drive for writing was validated.

I began doing sports reporting at The Daily Collegian at California State University, Fresno the following fall and began to learn to be dedicated to my craft. Through the next two years of covering football games and athletic functions, conduction interviews with athletes and writing columns, I learned the values of a strong drive. Most importantly, however, I learned how a reporter or writer closely interacts into the community they cover.

Upon completion of two years at CSU-Fresno, I entered the military, and two years later began a career in the Air Force as public affairs journalist.

As a journalist, the mere act of writing is only a small part of your involvement with the community as a while. I developed a strong rapport with sergeants, officers, base personnel and fellow airmen because all had benefited from the positive exposure my articles and stories had given them. The gratifying support received on my behalf through these experiences has been invaluable.

I have since spent one year as a student at CSU-Sacramento, where I also worked for The State Hornet as a sports columnist. I left in order to gain experience in the working world.

I now work for the Sacramento Bee, and though I am not currently writing for the publication; I have taken the first step in getting to the ground floor of what I have always wanted to have a career in: a media company.

I have now been at the Union Institute and University for one semester, and I am projected to graduate in the summer of 2004. I can attest that my time at UIU has been tremendous in terms of identifying what I really wanted to focus my long term plans on, getting feedback on my academic and professional endeavors, selecting the curriculum that would most benefit me in the future, and then taking action on those plans.

The UIU has thus allowed me to fulfill my goal of college graduation with personable staff and faculty, flexibility into my work commitments, and allowing me to focus on my career goals.

For this I am grateful; as in the case of man other adult learners, the goal is not merely the completion. However, it is the achievement of personal goals and a self satisfaction that I along with other adult learners at this institution continue to excel. It is for these reasons and with Professor Kevin Jones’ support that I would be honored to be considered for this year’s Presidential Scholarship.