MY STORY: 

• Stop the silence, end the violence: a spotlight on the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition

MY BLOG:

As a member of the organization Alpha Chi Omega, our philanthropy is domestic violence awareness and prevention. I am no stranger to the epidemic that is domestic violence and how the problem is particularly startling in the state of Utah. The members of Alpha Chi Omega work closely with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition raising money for it to support our cause.

In order to locate sources to interview I asked our vice president of philanthropy for contacts at the UDVC and I also interviewed her for my enterprise story. My sources were the best for my story because they had the knowledge and expertise to answer my questions. Chris Davies was able to answer my logistical and financial questions, being the associate director, and Samantha Candland, being volunteer coordinator, was able to answer any questions I had about how to get involved with the UDVC and volunteer opportunities. Mackenzie Turner helped me bridge the gap between Alpha Chi Omega and I was able to ask her questions about what we do to support the UDVC. I got a lot of information from my three sources so it was a little bit difficult to narrow down my focus. I ended up just explaining what the UDVC is, what it does and how Alpha Chi Omega is connected to them.

The writing process was very interesting and challenging at the same time. It really pushed me outside of my comfort zone not just as a writer but as a person as well. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed going out and interviewing people and then writing a story on what they told me. When I was interviewing Candland, she told me about her experience and what led her to the UDVC that included required volunteer work for her sociology class she was taking.

ABOUT ME: 

You could say that I’m a little bit of a free spirit. I don’t like being tied down and find myself easily bored. I seem to always be looking for the next thing to catch my eye and obsess over. I think my indecisive nature may be the reason why I can’t seem to stick with any one thing.

When I started at the University of Utah I was determined to become a surgeon but my first biology class definitely showed me that science is not my calling. I then moved to becoming a history major headed for law school. Again something still just didn’t feel right. So I began to really search and find what I was passionate about.

During the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college I rediscovered an old passion of mine. Writing had always been a big part of my life. I grew up loving to read and watch stories and I wanted to be able to create my own stories.

In college, I joined the  University of Utah’s Her Campus chapter. Writing for a collegiate magazine showed me how much I really enjoy writing. I started thinking that this could be the passion that I wanted to be my career. I had always considered becoming a journalist but never really pursued it. So with shaking hands and hope for the future, I changed my major one more time.

I am now a junior at the University of Utah currently studying communication in the journalism sequence with a minor in history. I hope to become a foreign correspondent and novelist in the not so distant future.