 |
Nick Oza is passionate about photography. He is also talented. However, I noticed that he was trying to drive home one particular point yesterday. That is, the importance of mentoring.While he did not mention any specific person who guided him early in his career, it was apparent that he wanted to acknowledge that he had help. During these uncertain times in journalism education, it was refreshing to hear someone speak from the heart about the profession. Often, instructors are torn about advising a student regarding a career in journalism. You want to support and encourage them ,but you also feel a sense of reponsibility to warn them about the overwhelming odds they will face. After listening to Nick, I no longer feel any hesitation. I will throw my support behind any student with the heart and drive.
Thomas Curran
Grace King High School
Metarie, La
I also got a strong emphasis on internships. He seemed to indicate that it is a must for photography. He himself had multiple internships, and I bet they were all unpaid. It is a sad fact of our life that you must give away your labor for awhile in many fields before anybody will let you take even an entry level "job."
ReplyDeleteHis presentation was incredible. I never thought to consider myself a mentor, but why not? I'm in a perfect position to mentor a student or to get them in contact with a professional who can be helpful. I think we're afraid of showing favoritism, but sometimes, these students need to be somebody's favorite. Why can't that somebody be me?
ReplyDelete