MY STORY:

• Local entrepreneurs discuss new wedding business in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG:

My story about an exciting new company in Salt Lake City really caught my attention when I saw an advertisement on Instagram. I didn’t know the person who uploaded the advertisement, however, I had a friend who shared it on to my Explore page. After witnessing this advertisement, I knew that this was something that I wanted to share with more people.

I was able to locate my sources through the advertisement. It documented the number of the owners and allowed me to reach out and make contact with them. I was also lucky enough to get some personal accounts from people who have had makeovers by the two owners.

The founders were the best sources for my story. Their insight into what it really takes to create a new business which nobody had ever tried before is something that no one else could have offered. I really hope that everybody can witness from my story how they overcame certain challenges.

Thankfully, I did not encounter any problems that affected my story or the way it was told.

I made sense of all the information I gained by constantly going back over my writing and absorbing all the information. I was making constant little changes to my writing until I saw a pattern which really made the story flow.

I would say the biggest challenge I encountered during this story was the writing process. It took a lot of time and stress to figure out how I wanted to portray the company, however, after learning how I wanted to write the story it became much more efficient and free-flowing.

I couldn’t have added more detail to the story without it becoming too much for the reader.

I surprised myself with how well I was able to adapt when an interview wasn’t going according to plan. In my first interview I came across some trouble when I wasn’t getting the information I wanted out of my source, but instead of settling for what he gave me I asked a few more questions which gave me some much-needed answers.

ABOUT ME:

I am a 20-year-old junior studying Journalism at the University of Utah. I have enjoyed my time here at the U, but I am excited to pursue my dreams in sports broadcasting. I am a proud member of the Utah men’s tennis team and I love giving back to the university community. I also plan on joining the U athletics council next year.

Sports has always been a massive part of my life and being able to incorporate that with my Journalism major is a dream come true for me. I would be thrilled to use my knowledge of sports and inform people about it through the form of broadcasting. I have an internship at the BBC next summer and I plan to take full advantage of the experience I gain to further knowledge on reporting.

When I am not in class you will find me on a tennis court, at a dog park, or sitting at home watching sports. I am currently writing an article about my time as a University student-athlete and plan to publish it when I graduate.

MY STORY:

• Business owners discuss their journeys and advice for U students with start-ups

MY BLOG:

I originally developed my story ideas by beginning to think about how important it would be to let the readers know about small businesses in Utah. The reason why I wanted to focus on that was because I wanted a way to encourage University of Utah students to start their business and capture the unique experiences of several business owners.

I located one of my sources through one of my fellow classmates. A student heard my story idea and provided me the contact information for another University of Utah student who has started her own business. As for my other two sources, I was able to get in touch with them due to one of my good friends.

I found the best sources for my story because each one had a unique story to tell and each had unique advice for U students. Luckily, I did not encounter any obstacles, ethical issues or moral dilemmas. All sources were very open to answering questions and sharing their stories.

I decided my focus would be to highlight experiences of business owners. How I made sense of all the information I gathered was to revise my interview notes and highlight the most fitting information that fit my focus.

The writing process taught me a lot about my craft. I learned that I took useful notes while interviewing my sources and that recording the interview allowed me to not miss out on any important details.

What surprised me in the interviewing process was that all of my sources were happy to share their struggles, successes and what they would do differently if they could do it over again.

The overall lesson I learned from my interviews was to not let fear get in the way of what one wants to accomplish, and that being a student at the U comes with a lot of great benefits to help you every step of the way in starting a business.

ABOUT ME:

I always had a hard time figuring out exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I have always been interested in just about everything, which made it hard to narrow down what I wanted to do as a career. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian, due to my love for animals. I changed my mind on that career as soon as I realized that I would be seeing many animals sick and injured.

I was raised having a business mindset. I grew up observing my dad run his business and teaching me many lessons. When I was around 7 years old, I began coming up with new ways to make some money. One of the ways I made money was that I asked my parents to buy me a bulk package of handmade greeting cards, and I went around my neighborhood and sold them individually. I quickly realized that I was not afraid to talk to anyone and that I wanted to have my own business someday.

When I was deciding what I exactly wanted to go to school for, it was a pretty easy choice. I am now a junior at the University of Utah and will be finishing in Spring 2019 with a BA in strategic communication. I am enjoying this major because it is setting up a great foundation for my MBA I plan to work hard for.

I am glad I have a great family that not only supports me but encourages me. I am thankful my dad taught me from a young age to be business-driven. He pushes me to be the best that I can be.

I enjoy a lot of activities in my free time. I love spending time outdoors, whether it is jogging at a park, walking my dogs, or hiking with friends. I really enjoy traveling to new places as often as I can, with my friends and family as well.

MY STORY: 

• The University of Utah brings benefits of music to local students through Piano Outreach Program

MY BLOG: 

I love the performing arts and community outreach. The benefits of being involved in the performing arts (including developing confidence, talent and creativity) shouldn’t be restricted only to individuals in higher socioeconomic classes with lots of discretionary income. Everyone should have opportunities, especially children.

My roommate is a piano performance major and during our freshman year, she was a volunteer in the Piano Outreach Program. I didn’t know a lot about it, but it sounded interesting. Fast forward to last semester when I was heavily involved in researching how to overcome socioeconomic boundaries in extracurricular arts programs. One night I was in a rut with my research, so I talked through it with this same roommate. She reminded me of the Piano Outreach Program.

It ended up not fitting in my research project that semester, but I was determined to learn more about it.

At the beginning of this semester, Professor Mangun asked each of us to think about a topic to explore for our enterprise story. I immediately thought about the Piano Outreach Program. I finally get to learn more about it!

One of my sources, Mio Cowden, the coordinator of the Piano Outreach Program, has been a tremendous help. She is very passionate about the program and its effect on students. Although she is very busy with administrative and teaching duties, she took time to answer all my emails and meet in person to chat. She has also been the key to finding other sources willing to share their experiences and insights as teachers in the program.

Another benefit of meeting Mio was getting to practice my Japanese again! She was born in Japan and I lived there for a while, but don’t get many chances to speak anymore. Part of the interview was Japanese (especially when she got excited) and the rest in English. Though all of the quotes in the story are her words, not a translation.

While thinking about a focus for this story, I was interested in how the Piano Outreach Program helps refugees and other lower socioeconomic class students. However, when talking to my sources, I heard a unified message: Who cares about their background? Music unites students because during this time, labels fall away and they are just children learning music.

 ABOUT ME:

 Musical theater holds my heart.

I grew up singing, dancing, acting and keeping my sights set on Broadway. Along the way, I loved thinking and writing about shows. At the University of Utah, I started as a musical theater major, then made my way to the Department of Communication because I love strategizing and writing. I now major in communication with an emphasis in strategic communication and a minor in theater.

In a world where the arts can make a significant impact but get rampantly cut from budgets, I want to persuade decision-makers to understand the importance of arts and make opportunities available to everyone, particularly young students, regardless of socioeconomic status.

Someday I dream of being a marketing/communications director for a fine arts organization, preferably a theater company!

MY STORY:

• Redefine beauty with positive body image

MY BLOG:

With the society that we live in it is becoming more and more common to compare ourselves to others. Media in all forms are extremely present in society even for young children. My entire life I have struggled with self-image and low self-esteem as many others have too. But what is different now than when I was a child is the easy access to social media, a platform designed specifically to show other people what you want them to see about your life.

Recently while scrolling through Instagram I came across a profile of someone who was discussing the harmful effects of social media. The profile described the connection between social media and comparison, depression and even increased suicide rates. This was terrifying to me. I know that when I get on social media it is easy to feel all of those effects and emotions but I have been able to turn it off and forget about it. However, others are not.

Originally this is the story I wanted to tell. The damaging effects of social media and how it is affecting us as adults and our youth. How easy these platforms make it for us to compare our lives, beauty and worth to others. This was until I learned of the Kite sisters. Lindsay and Lexie Kite are graduates of the University of Utah and creators of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined.

These women are some of the most knowledgeable women I have learned about. And they have created a message that should be shared with all young girls and adults around the world. The women portray everything that it means to be strong, healthy and beautiful from the inside out. Instead of discussing the damage that can come from social media these women discuss the importance of positive body image and how we can learn to deal with the harmful ideologies portrayed in the media. The identical twins travel the world teaching women how to redefine what beauty means and that our looks do not define us.

This is now the story that I want to share. The story of these two incredible sisters who have an even more incredible message to share with the world about the importance of body image positivity.

ABOUT ME: 

I am currently a strategic communication major at the University of Utah and will be graduating in the spring of 2019. Currently I run my own business as a hair stylist, which allows me to show my creativity while forming relationships with each client who sits in my chair. But what I love most about my job is the ability it gives me to make others feel confident about themselves.

MY STORY: 

• Best Friends Animal Society hopes to ‘Save Them All’ through NKUT initiatives

MY BLOG:

Contemplation leaves my mind a little confused given too much time. I felt I had so many topics to write about that choosing just one felt impossible. OK, maybe not impossible, but certainly difficult.

Actually, I didn’t even come up with the idea to write about Best Friends Animal Society. Any guess as to who did? Well, just like a lot of other decisions in my life, my parents suggested the topic.

Every initial idea I had seemed great, but I couldn’t find enough information to highlight that would make a story interesting. It was one of those necessary breakups with my ideas that ended in a, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Luckily there weren’t too many hearts broken.

It wasn’t the people or businesses involved in my potential stories, but it was me. I couldn’t seem to create ideas that deserved at least 850 words. My professor, Kimberley Mangun, told the class our first ideas were probably not going to be what we ended up writing about. I didn’t think much of this. I thought my ideas were great.

What I thought then is different than what I think now. I feel more humble about my approach to writing, like story ideas that present themselves in subtle ways are the ones that are worth further exploration.

After the mention of Best Friends from my mother, my first thought was, “Wow! I can go on a trip to Kanab and spend all day with dogs!” That didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

I admit the idea of visiting 1,700 animals was persuasive, but all throughout my life I have volunteered with animal organizations and grown up in a family that raised what we called “muts” from the pound; otherwise known as rescue dogs from animal shelters. The topic was one I related to and felt compassion for.

To clarify, I wasn’t the “mut” nor was I from the pound, but ask a family member and they might say vice versa.

I began my story as any millennial might do. I went straight to social media. I made a post on Facebook in the Best Friends volunteer Facebook group.

My post gained a lot of interest. Employees and volunteers reached out to offer any help they could with my story.

I was shocked. I was pleased. And I was ready to start writing.

I direct messaged the individuals on Facebook who I was interested in interviewing. We exchanged our schedules and then coordinated a time to meet while I was volunteering at the Best Friend’s sanctuary.

I was inspired by everyone I talked to. I learned a lot of interesting facts as well. One woman I met began volunteering at Best Friends after she watched a TV show called “Dogtown,” which was filmed at the sanctuary in Kanab. She’s also from Wisconsin and has been volunteering for eight years now. She flies to Kanab three times a year.

I managed to interview her on one out of three times she will be in Kanab this year. You could say it wasn’t mere luck, but destiny. 

I knew No-Kill Utah was a significant movement, but I was unaware of the resources available for community members to become involved.

NKUT was my focus for a couple reasons. One being that Best Friends hopes to reach no-kill status by 2019, so proximity of time worked out great for me. Another reason being the work of Best Friends, made possible by employees and volunteers, in my opinion deserved recognition.

During my researching process, I was completely overwhelmed by the information available to me. I couldn’t find a starting point. There was so much to be written about and after my first rough draft I felt I had brain dumped a lot of information into a Word document that wasn’t cohesive.

It look a lot of editing before I was pleased with my work. Most importantly, I wanted Best Friends to be pleased by my work.

I had a rewarding experience writing about Best Friends. Writing profiles as I did showed me that journalism can be symbiotic for both the writer and the subject.

It’s personal experiences like this that make all efforts seem beneficial to my success as a professional and individual.

ABOUT ME:

Keaton Shirk grew up in Dallas, Texas, until moving away to attend Santa Barbara Community College in Santa Barbara, California, after she graduated high school. While taking in the sunshine and sea breeze, she took courses to complete her associate degree and decide what career she found herself most passionate about.

In her free time, she volunteered at the Santa Barbara Food Bank, where she gleaned fruits from community members’ trees. The gleaned fruit was then distributed to fellow community members who relied on the support of the food bank. It was an uplifting experience for her. Many of the people she volunteered with are still great friends to her now.

After completing her general academic requirements in Santa Barbara, Keaton transferred to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Before officially transferring, she did not go to school for one semester. She did this so she could spend time exploring Utah.

Everywhere Keaton travels she seeks out businesses and nonprofit organizations that are helping local communities. She enjoys supporting those that strive to support others on a daily basis. This passion led her to eventually becoming a board member for the Sugar House Farmer’s Market. She assisted with social media and website management.

Once university classes started, Keaton began exploring the resources offered at the U. She found the opportunity to take an internship position in Barcelona, Spain. The internship taught Keaton valuable skills that are only acquired in real-life experience. Keaton wrote for the company’s blog and enjoyed building a portfolio with creative content inspired by her life in Spain. Due to the exposure Keaton received working at a touristic company, she found an interest in the travel industry.

Since Keaton has returned to Utah, she values the knowledge she gained from her internship and is therefore exploring other internship opportunities in Utah and abroad. Currently, Keaton is majoring in communication with an emphasis in journalism and minoring in parks, recreation and tourism with an emphasis in sustainable tourism. Keaton hopes to graduate the U by 2020 and find a career that combines her appreciation for communication and tourism.

MY STORY:

• For the love of books

MY BLOG:

I have always been a reader. Even before I could read I would beg my parents to read everything to me. Naturally, when I learned that I would need to write a story my thoughts leapt to books.

My thoughts also went to my friend Sinai Valero. I’ve known Valero since elementary school. In that time, I have managed to interview her for almost every project like this that I have had.

Since Valero owns a comic bookstore and is my favorite interviewee of past projects, I started to formulate a plan to write a feature on local bookstores.

Finding resources for my story was much easier than I expected.

Getting hold of Valero was no problem, seeing as we have been friends for so long. I got in contact with Anne Holman and Ken Sanders through family. My uncle has worked with both of them. He was kind enough to put me in touch with them.

These people were perfect for my story. Since each of them run a local bookstore, they know a lot about the industry.

Making sense of my information wasn’t hard. Each of my interviewees talked a lot about the communities surrounding his/her store and the threat of online shopping. So, when I sat down to go through my notes the focus was obvious.

The actual writing was harder. The most difficult part of writing was getting started. There were many times when I sat down in front of my laptop, opened a Word document, and then immediately shut down my laptop. But eventually I told myself that I needed to get something done. So, I wrote an outline. Seeing my story laid out made it feel much more doable. Suddenly, the writing came easily.

What surprised me about this whole experience is how much I enjoyed interviewing. As I mentioned, I have already done a few interviews, but it was only with friends. The idea of interviewing strangers was daunting. But I loved it. I’m excited to see where this newfound love of interviewing will take me.

ABOUT ME:

I am a communications major at the University of Utah. My intention is to graduate in the spring of 2020 with an emphasis in journalism. I grew up around the news, spending my childhood as a “backseat listener” of NPR. I’ve always been fascinated by world events and politics. As a result, I have grown to love hearing and telling others’ stories.

Journalism wasn’t my first choice for a career. Along with an interest in news and politics, I also have a fascination with plants and animals. My plan was to go into biology. However, I quickly discovered this was not what I needed to be doing. After some introspection, I realized that writing is more suited to my talents.

I look forward to getting further into the journalism field and to learning more about what is going on in my world.

MY STORY: 

• Three dessert shops in the Salt Lake Valley you need to try

MY BLOG:

When thinking of what to write about for my story, I had many ideas in my mind. I thought about writing on service dogs, cheap airline flights and local coffee shops.

One idea stuck out though, dessert.

I am in love with dessert; it is my favorite meal of the day. Ever since I could eat sweets, I was a dessert girl!

I knew I wanted my story to be fun — there is nothing about a dessert that’s not fun! I didn’t want to write about anything serious or of a hot topic because that’s just not me.

I wrote my story on three local dessert shops in Salt Lake City. I wanted to focus on different styles of dessert. Ranging from edible cookie dough, incredible ice cream, and gourmet desserts I hit all the dessert bases.

It was hard to pick only three dessert shops; I had people giving me recommendations left and right.

I thought it was so interesting how relatable dessert is and how no one talks about it. It is always an afterthought. Maybe that’s why dessert comes after dinners. If you want me to be honest though, dessert comes before dinner for me.

To begin my story I had to hit up the dessert spots and get the best desserts

To no one’s surprise my boyfriend was ecstatic to get out and try all the desserts in Salt Lake. My original plan was to go to one shop every weekend, but we ended up going every night. It was just too much fun trying different sweets!

The first shop we went to was Dough Co. For a Tuesday night this place was insanely busy. We got delicious cookie dough recommended by the employees and talked to this awesome family who was out for family night.

This family gave me another excuse to go out for dessert! Family time!

On Wednesday night we went to Last Course in Salt Lake City. Last Course is the reason I wanted to write about dessert. This place takes dessert to the next level.

Last Course offers ice cream and gourmet treats. The workers push newcomers to taste test all the ice cream options.

We ended up with two desserts and two ice cream scoops. For two people this was more than enough dessert. We chose the Glaming S’mores and the Upside Down Caramel Apple Pie based on a recommendation of the employees.

For our last and final dessert stop we hit up Normal Ice Cream. This is a food truck but is in Trolley Square for the winter.

It features a good deal of diverse ice cream options. After reading through the menu we ended up getting the signature White Out and London Fog ice cream cones.

These aren’t like normal ice cream cones. The only word I can think of to explain these cones is: beautiful.

Going through this experience of having dessert every night for a week was amazing. I would recommend anyone to do it. I loved all the different options available in Salt Lake City.

Dessert should be everyone’s favorite meal of the day. Dessert makes everyone happy and everyone deserves to be happy!

ABOUT ME:

Growing up I never knew what I wanted to do. My friends wanted to be firefighters, veterinarians and doctors. I still had no idea what I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by marketing. My dad’s been working with the same company since I was born. I’ve been surrounded by catch phrases and commercials.

Throughout high school I was interesting in psychology and how people work. Going into college psychology was going to be my specialty, and I was excited. Like many other college students I took my first biology class and figured out science wasn’t my thing. To be successful in psychology, it is recommended to head for a pre-med route. I knew I couldn’t do that since science and math just aren’t my thing. My second idea was to head to business school and go into marketing. When I talked to advisors they recommended strategic communication, because this would let me be creative but still work for a marketing company. I am currently a sophomore and starting my major. I am so happy to be starting what I want to do.

On top of studying and working I’ve been training service dogs for military veterans. This has to be the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my lifetime. Working with veterans and seeing first hand how my efforts can change someone’s life is amazing.

MY STORY:

• University of Utah Climbing Team prepares to defend its title

MY BLOG:

As a member of the climbing team, the idea to highlight the team and its success seemed very appealing. I chose a variety of sources, the first, Danny Popowski, was an easy choice as he had started the team himself a few years ago. His perspective seemed invaluable to the story, and his comments really communicated to the reader how successful the team has been.

For my other sources, Monica Barnes and Sam Enright, I wanted to highlight that the team is made up of both seasoned climbers as well as newer, less experienced climbers. Barnes, having only recently begun climbing, provided us with a fresh and genuine perspective. Enright was able to provide readers the perspective of a very accomplished, goal-oriented climber.

During the course of writing this story I was pleased to not be met with many obstacles. My interviews went smoothly and my sources were very helpful. I gathered quite a bit of information from my interviews, but I wanted to keep my focus on the experience level of the climbers, how the team has helped them, and how they are preparing for nationals.

The actual act of writing this story was pretty easy for me. I simply decided on what kind of lead I wanted, what tone I wanted to set, and how I wanted to portray my sources. I really enjoyed this story and I hope the audience is captivated by my narrative and intrigued by the climbing team and storytelling.

ABOUT ME:

Eric Jerome is a student at the University of Utah studying strategic communication. Born in Finksburg, Maryland, Eric only recently moved to Utah to pursue his love of rock climbing. Aside from climbing, Eric also enjoys making art and eating copious amounts of food.

MY STORY: 

• University of Utah fraternity partners with Rape Recovery Center

MY BLOG: 

Finding a topic for my enterprise story was exciting for me. I knew I wanted to choose a topic that would bring positivity to a world that sometimes seems dark. Beta Theta Pi’s relationship with the Rape Recovery Center was a story I felt needed to be told. The Beta members show that there are still many great people in the world wanting change. I located sources through some of my fellow Greek community members. I wanted to make sure I focused on how driven these men are. Therefore, I chose to interview sources who were putting the most effort into these events. They were the best sources for me because they were able to tell me their vision and motivation for why they work so hard with the RRC.

During my interviews, I never ran into any moral dilemmas because sexual assault is something everybody can relate to. This helped me choose my focus. I chose to focus strictly on Beta’s relationship with the RRC and the fundraising efforts. Writing this story was extremely humbling. I have watched young adults take a lot of backlash lately. Society believes all young people are careless and selfish. Writing about men my age who are out there making a huge difference is so amazing. I am so glad that I chose to highlight the men of Beta. I truly believe these men have started a movement that can change campuses across the country. It was a privilege to get to know the members of Beta Theta Pi. They pride themselves on being “men of principle” and it shows.

ABOUT ME: 

I am a 21-year-old junior at the University of Utah. After debating between marketing and communication, I decided to major in strategic communication. I have always been very outgoing and personable. I love expressing myself in anyway I can.

Some of my hobbies include tennis, golf and traveling. I am passionate about seeing new places and experiencing different cultures. My favorite place I have been so far is Costa Rica. I am constantly striving to explore opportunities and to grow as an individual.

Writing has always been something I have been interested in. It allows me to say how I am feeling in a creative way. I love being able to write about issues that are often misunderstood. In the future, I hope to find a career that allows me to be creative while also letting me meet new people.

MY STORY:

• It’s all about the bread: the history and legacy of the Village Baker

MY BLOG:

For my enterprise story, I went through an entire process to develop an idea that would draw my audience in from the very start.

In the beginning, I started thinking too big. I wanted to do interviews with people I’d have no way of getting in contact with. So, I really had to narrow down my thoughts on something more obtainable.

For my story, my sources were very easy to obtain. The Village Baker is a family company, with my uncle being the CEO. For my other sources, I interviewed the managers of both the original location and a new location. My cousin was one of the managers so it was also easy to contact him.

They provided very good insight into what happens behind closed doors. Especially for my uncle, it was easy to see how things worked before they finally franchised the stores because he is the original owner. The manager of the Salt Lake store has also been with the company for years so he has also seen the growth before and after.

My focus was unclear at the beginning, so I started with the interview questions. When I started to develop these questions, I could see a direction that my story could head. I thought it would be fascinating to shed light on how the Village Baker has grown over 25 years running.

While I was writing, I would think back to documentaries I’ve watched or other profile pieces I’ve written, and tried to mimic that style of organization and professionalism. It made my process clear and easy to write after finishing an outline that organized my thoughts.

I want to know more about the Village Baker’s past before they opened. I know that my uncle had a partner who helped start this with him, but he eventually left. I want to know more about him and why he left.

I was surprised by how easy it was to get motivated by a story. Most writing I’ve done in college has always been dry and boring. But my enterprise story was one of the most exciting stories I’ve written.

ABOUT ME:

Spencer Gray, a student at the University of Utah, is heading into his junior year studying strategic communication. His passion for writing has branched to multiple sources including film and directing. Gray hopes to hold a creative team-oriented position after he is graduated from the U in 2020.

MY STORY: 

• What type of note taker are you?

MY BLOG: 

For my story, I wanted to write about something that has to do with students. My first idea was writing about full-time working dads and my second idea was to write about the one thing all students do, and that is note taking. I thought the working dads idea was a fun twist on all the articles about working moms. However, I chose to write about students taking notes in class because that topic hits closer to home.

When I decided to write about note taking in school, I wanted to make it geared more toward communication majors. I chose to use one major because there is such a vast number of majors there would have been too much information to write about. By sticking to one major, I was able to eliminate several obstacles of trying to use different majors.

I chose to interview two students and a professor. Each student attends a different university in the state of Utah and the professor teaches at the University of Utah. I chose to interview students from different schools so that I could eliminate a bias. The bias would have been that all of my sources came from the U and I wanted different viewpoints. I was able to interview students I knew from Utah State University and Southern Utah University. Both of these students came to Salt Lake at different times and I was able to interview them while they were here. For the professor, I had the opportunity to take her class last semester and thought she would be the perfect source for a story on note taking. I chose her because she does not allow electronic devices during her class times.

My focus was on the different ways of note taking and how one type is better than the other, according to research. I wanted to explore whether taking notes by hand is better for students compared to taking notes with a laptop or electronic device. I gathered a lot of information about note taking from the students and chose to use only the parts that they said why they chose the way they do and how it impacted their grades. For the professor, I chose to ask why she doesn’t allow electronic devices and what advice she would give to students about taking notes and studying.

I found this story interesting to write. I have never taken a newswriting class, so I was only used to writing papers/essays in APA style. This was definitely a learning process for me. I found that once I started writing, it became easier for me to write according to news style. Overall, I was able to broaden my writing style and thoroughly enjoyed this assignment.

ABOUT ME:

Bailey Caldwell is a senior strategic communication major at the University of Utah. She started at the U in 2016 after receiving her associate degree from Southern Utah University. Although Bailey loved going to SUU, she chose to move closer to home to finish her schooling. Graduating from the U was always a dream of hers and now she will be able to.

Bailey has worked two part-time jobs throughout college while still being a full-time student. Balancing work and school has been tough at times but Bailey has become a well rounded person because of the time management she had to learn. Keeping busy has always been a lifestyle for Bailey.

After graduation, Bailey plans to start a career in event planning and social media marketing. She has always wanted to plan large-scale events along with learning about social media marketing and advertising.

MY STORY: 

• University of Utah students discuss their passion for medicine and science

MY BLOG: 

While doing my research and formulating my story, I was really unsure where my thought process would take me. I figured that it would either turn out really successful and that I would gain valuable insight into the lives of STEM majors, or it would be a flop and I would be left with meaningless interviews and struggling to find an angle.

However, I’m happy to say that this was not the conclusion I came to. My experience was really enjoyable, and I did end up learning a lot about what I was studying. My favorite part was getting to know the people on a more personal level and learning about what motivates them, what they hope to accomplish, and the kinds of impact they hope to have.

The sources I interviewed were my friends and classmates, which is usually a bad demographic to tap into. However, I felt that for this story, it would allow me to access the beat I was looking for best. Interviewing a doctor or former medical student wouldn’t be as effective because they would already be far along in the process of practicing medicine. Instead, I wanted to talk to people who were just starting out and see what their thoughts and experiences were like. This gave me a better grasp on what it’s like to pursue these kinds of majors and helped me answer my questions I had beforehand. I was most surprised by my sources’ insistence on staying dedicated and not straying from their long-term goals.

ABOUT ME: 

Ryan Matthew Thurston is a freelance writer and sports journalist from St. George, Utah, who now resides in Salt Lake City. During high school, Thurston was the captain of the debate team and won the 3A state tournament in 2016. He also swam and played volleyball for Snow Canyon High School. In college, Thurston has worked as an athletics communication intern for Utah Athletics, the Pac-12 conference, and ESPN. Thurston hopes to one day publish articles for ESPN, Vox, or FiveThirtyEight. His favorite sports include basketball and baseball and his favorite teams include the Utah Jazz, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Eagles.

MY STORY:

• Medical marijuana versus the opioid epidemic in Utah

MY BLOG:

For my enterprise story I wanted to make sure I was writing about something really meaningful to people. I thought about what could make a difference in people’s lives and I decided to write about opioid addiction and if medical marijuana could be a better solution.

I wanted to educate people about opioids and let them know the dangers of taking them. I also wanted to find out if there are better alternatives so people can avoid starting them in the first place. A family friend works as a neurologist in Provo, Utah, and I knew he would be a great source to interview. I also know a medical assistant so I interviewed her as well. My final source was a friend who lives in California who currently uses medical marijuana as a replacement forhis pain pills.

Some issues I encountered was that the neurologist wanted to remain anonymous because medical marijuana is not legal in Utah. I asked him what I could refer to him as and he said Dr. R. The medical assistant also wanted to remain somewhat anonymous, so she said I could use her first name and last initial, Michelle C.

After my interviews it became clear that all three of my sources believed medical marijuana was a better alternative than opioid medication. So while writing this I tried to tell each of their stories in an informative way that correctly represented their beliefs. I wanted to interest my readers while giving them the facts about opioid use and the destruction it can cause.

I really enjoyed interviewing Dr. R because he was so knowledgeable about this topic. I learned a lot about opioid addiction and how common it is in Utah. I was surprised by how many patients come to a doctor just seeking opioids, or to try to sell them. It was also surprising that two medical professionals both thought medical marijuana could really help people, and yet it’s not legal in Utah.

I enjoyed writing this story and I am glad I chose this topic. I think it is really important to spread awareness of this opioid epidemic and show people there are other alternatives to these drugs. If anything I hope my story can stop people from taking them because all it takes is one prescription to ruin a life.

ABOUT ME:

I am 25 years old and currently attending the University of Utah. I love to read and I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I love traveling and exploring new places. After I graduate I hope to travel around Europe before starting a career. My family is the most important thing to me, along with my cat named Khaleesi.

I will be graduating from the U in fall 2018 with a degree in communication. I have been planning on applying to law school but I am still keeping my options open. I enjoy working with people and working in the business industry. If I don’t end up going to law school I will hopefully start a career in business.

MY STORY: 

• Their brothers’ keeper — Utah charity targets refugee men

MY BLOG:

Every Wednesday and Friday morning, I arrive at the Catholic Community Services of Utah building in Salt Lake City, where a colorful mural depicts likewise colorful people giving and receiving help. I’m an intern there for the Preferred Communities Department, where I assist the star source of my story, Leul Mengistu, with the fledgling Men’s Wellness Support Group.

Can someone say, “conflict of interest?” I in fact reported on the same program I am working to launch. I scratched my head for a bit over whether I was the right person for the feature or some other reporter-in-training should handle it. But then again, I was and am the only student in COMM 1610 with close access to the Men’s Wellness Support Group. So I gave it my scout’s honor to be as unbiased as possible and proceeded to write.

My focus was difficult to drill into. Should I tell the story of a single refugee in the support group? What about a feature story on Mengistu and his program? But there were problems with these: no male refugees were yet recruited and I doubted 850 words could fit a good feature on Mengistu’s past and his program’s future. It was Mengistu who delivered the story’s focus — a local charity was starting something new in the world of refugee resettlement: a curriculum-based program tailored to men. There’s the slice of the ham I wanted!

Leul Mengistu and Aden Batar were the best possible sources for such a story. Both men experienced the difficulty of American integration and were now heading programs to help people like them. I especially loved Mengistu’s quote: “I don’t want them to fall between the cracks.” It proved a good backbone for the story and captured the urgency to help male refugees today.

Batar surprised me when he dropped this bomb of a quote: “The most welcoming state in the U.S. is Utah.” I doubted him and thought, “Really? The beehive state? What about New York or California? Massachusetts or Washington?” But because it came from the man in charge of the Department of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement, it carried some legitimacy.

I intended for the story to shed light on why the Men’s Wellness Support Group is needed and what Mengistu is doing to start it in Salt Lake City. However, certain grandmothers made the valid point that although the story is about refugee men, it fails to include their perspective. The story’s done and submitted, but if I had another go, I would include a lead about one of the very refugees who currently needs help.

ABOUT ME: 

I’ve given up a lot for stories.

My time, money, grades and even eyesight have been swallowed by my voracious appetite for a good story. My eyesight left when I read books by the light of a Happy Meal glow toy when my parents thought I was sleeping. My grades went after I couldn’t put “Fablehaven” down in elementary school.

In high school, I wrote the beginnings of stories about people trying to cheat fate or run futuristic governments. But my dreams of being a novelist took a turn when I went on an LDS mission and discovered the flesh-and-blood face of stories.

I met people all over Louisiana who suffered. Old ladies whose kids never returned home, fathers who raised children in the shells of battered houses. These people had stories that changed my own. My narrative was no longer about Peter Johnston climbing the academic ladder or Lisa and Jeremy’s son wasting time with a book — it became one of Elder Johnston praying with and for the downtrodden in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Nearly a year later, I’m an Eccles Scholar with a major in International Studies at the University of Utah. A main focus of mine is my internship at Catholic Community Services, where I’ve developed a support group for refugee men in Salt Lake City. Theirs is an untold story, and I aim to help them write a better one for themselves in this strange land called America.

I doubt the cards hold a job in print journalism for me. But I am still a storyteller and will both write and build the stories of people who need it most.

Stories have given me so much.

MY STORY: 

• Two single moms open medical spa in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG: 

After reading the syllabus for my news writing class for my upcoming spring semester I was terrified. I had never taken a news writing class and have always had a hard time writing papers for school. This was a whole different kind of writing. The AP style rules that you have to follow, the short paragraphs, it was completely different from what I had grown up learning, and after reading about the requirements for the enterprise story. I was very overwhelmed.

When I was thinking of ideas for my enterprise story I really wanted to do something that interests me as well as other people. I am very into skin care and when I heard a new medical spa was opening up in Salt Lake City I had to find out more.

I got the phone number of one of the owners of the medical spa and contacted her about possibly setting up a time I could meet with her and the other owner of the business because I wanted to do a story on the spa they were opening.

I have never met up with someone I didn’t know and having to ask them personal questions about their life was scary. Coming up with questions that I felt comfortable asking was also a battle. But when I met Devynne at her medical spa she was so nice! She answered all of my questions without hesitation. She was an open book. These experiences made making this article fun and enjoyable.

ABOUT ME: 

My name is Ashleigh Zaelit and I am currently working toward a bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah studying communication. I also have an interest in interior design. After getting my bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah I plan to get an interior design degree.

MY STORY: 

• Can a Mormon be a feminist?

MY BLOG: 

I chose to write about feminism in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I was raised in the Mormon church but growing up I always noticed inequalities between women and men, especially when it came to things like leadership. To me, it is important that women are visible leaders. I wanted to see what other people thought.

I located sources in two ways. First, I utilized my contacts and they helped me a lot by pointing me in the right direction. I interviewed Dr. Martha Bradley and Prof. Margaret Toscano because they have both done research on Mormon history and feminism. I also utilized the Facebook group Aspiring Mormon Women to find people who did not have research backgrounds but instead personal experiences with the Mormon church and feminism. This is where I connected with Marjorie Smith and Joseph Peterson.

At first it was difficult to decide on a focus because after the interviews I had gathered a lot of great information. I had a lot of information on the history of feminism in the Mormon church as well as people’s personal experiences. I decided to narrow the focus to personal experiences because I believed this would be more interesting to readers. Also, I wanted to write something that had not been written before, and there has already been quite a bit of writing on the history of Mormon feminism.

The writing process was difficult. It was hard to explain some things related to the Mormon church. Since I was raised LDS, I often forget that some of the things in the religion might not make sense to others outside of it. Also, writing in a news style in which you need to be concise and quick was new to me. Overall, it was a challenging but worthwhile experience in which I got to strengthen my interviewing and writing skills and learn more about a topic I am interested in.

ABOUT ME: 

I am currently a sophomore at the University of Utah studying strategic communication. I work as the campus representative for Universal Pictures and as the social media coordinator at the Bennion Center.

I hope to work in the entertainment industry in the future. I have loved comedy and television for as long as I can remember, and I plan on focusing on these two things throughout my career. I want to create content that is uplifting and funny, while also having honest and accurate representation.

MY STORY: 

• Girls on the Run: empowering girls from start to finish

MY BLOG: 

I have never been as passionate about an organization as I am when it comes to Girls on the Run Utah, so it was a clear choice to highlight the organization in my enterprise story. The nonprofit has been close to my heart for years, and it is important to me others are able to learn about the work it does and how to become part of it themselves.

I was able to get in touch with Executive Director Heidi Moreton as well as Marissa Ulibarri, who served as a coach through the program. Both provided me great information to utilize throughout my story. Understanding Girls on the Run Utah’s vision, as well as having the best sources for my story, made it easy for me to gather and use all the information with ease, creating an informative and effective story for my audience. I watched my writing style and the flow of my piece improve through each and every draft produced. Additionally, gaining important feedback from others was immensely helpful throughout the process.

Completing this story resulted in a greater appreciation for what the organization stands for and everything that is done behind the scenes, giving me a better understanding and becoming so much more proud of the work it does. I am truly lucky to have gotten such insight into GOTR and attempt to shine a light on it. I can only hope by publishing my story this organization will touch more individuals, continue to grow and succeed, and truly change lives.

ABOUT ME: 

Erin Sleater is currently a sophomore at the University of Utah pursuing a strategic communication degree. Though born and raised in Utah, she has an immense passion for traveling.

Erin is a proud member of both Her Campus Utah and Alpha Phi sorority on campus. She serves as the director of media and marketing for Her Campus Utah, and hopes to continue a career through social media marketing as she is happiest when showcasing her creativity.

MY STORY:

• Branding The Leonardo

MY BLOG:

For my enterprise story I wanted to write about the struggles behind building a brand, since college students quickly have to develop a successful strategy for marketing themselves. I wanted to focus on something more abstract than branding a product, and looked for a story about the successful strategy behind branding a person or organization.

Deb Peterson, the chief development officer of The Leonardo, offered me the opportunity to see the unique challenge of branding the museum. She offered great insight behind their strategy and the challenges they face, and explained some of the brand partnerships they’ve established.

The Leonardo currently hosts an exhibit featuring LEGO, and I was able to interview Mariann Asanuma, a LEGO master builder, who travels the world, marketing herself as the “first freelance female master builder.” She brought great insight into how LEGO has used the LEGO movies to reinvigorate the brand with a younger generation, and showed me how her social media presence helped build her personal brand.

The main obstacle that I encountered was trying to find the right sources, and gain access to them in the given timeframe. I quickly learned that in any large organization only a few key people developed the brand strategy, and they usually had pretty hectic schedules. I was able to engage with Deb Peterson through professional connections, and she was then able to get me access to any information I needed.

At the end I had a lot of great information about The Leonardo and the challenges of building its brand. The hard part was to distill the information to stay within the boundaries of the story. The Leonardo, LEGO, and the strategies behind branding are all great topics, and when writing about them collectively I had to focus on the common threads in order to not dilute the story.

The biggest lesson I learned was to always ask myself if I’m still focused on the original story, and what can be added or taken away to clarify the message for my readers.

ABOUT ME:

I hope to turn my passion for communication into a career focused on brand strategy. I have a great appreciation for the science behind verbal and visual communication, and I’m passionately interested in how social media ties into this field.

Before coming to the University of Utah I spent some time in the military, and worked in Iraq as a political and foreign influence analyst for the 101st Airborne Division. The work was fascinating and sparked my interest in professional communication and brand strategy.

I’m currently a sophomore student at the U, with a double major in business and strategic communication. When not in class or at work I spend my time at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute where I love working with startup companies on their brand identities.

During the next few years I intend to develop my ability to elegantly tell the stories that fascinate me and tie into the industries that I’m focused on, hopefully in ways that reward and fascinate my audience.

MY STORY:

• All Rhoads lead to the Olympics

MY BLOG:

When initially told about our enterprise story, I was unsure of what I would write about. I thought about the project for a while. My biggest concern was choosing a subject for which sources would be difficult to locate. It was just a few days before our story pitches were due that I decided to write about my friend, Will Rhoads. I had known Rhoads since I was 13 or 14 but had never really gotten in-depth details about his ski jumping career. I wanted to use this project as an opportunity to get to know my friend even better than I had before.

Sources were relatively easy to get in touch with. Rhoads would be my primary source and getting in contact with him was as simple as sending a text message to him. I told him about the project outline and he said that he would be honored to help me out. While I was interviewing Rhoads, he mentioned several other sources for me to explore, one being his former coach and the other being his mother. Since Rhoads knew these two people very well, it was easy for me to reach out and get in touch with them for interviews.

I believe these were the best sources for my story because they were all closely involved with Rhoads and his development in the sport. My primary source, Will Rhoads, was a phenomenal source because the story revolves around him. He is the Olympian and was able to provide firsthand information about his life. My second source, Clint Jones, was another great source because he was the one who shaped Rhoads throughout his youth. Jones had known Rhoads for years and was able to provide insight not many people were privy to. My third source was Rhoads’ mother, Christine. She was able to provide a parent’s point of view in regard to Rhoads’ early developments and struggles in the sport.

I only faced one real obstacle while writing this story, which was timing. When the project was initially assigned, and we needed to begin exploring options, Rhoads was already in South Korea preparing for the Olympics. I was unable to know whether I could write my story about him until a week or so before our first significant due date for the project. Even after I was able to conduct the interview with him, I still needed pictures for the story. After the Olympics, Rhoads needed to travel to Norway to finish the regular ski jumping season. I wasn’t able to meet with him in person to get my story pictures until three days prior to our publishing date. Even though our timing was tight, Rhoads and I were able to complete everything necessary in order to complete my story.

During the interview process I was provided a lot of information. In order to write my story, I decided to write a spotlight on Rhoads and his athletic career rather than focusing on one highlight in particular. Because I was interviewing people directly associated with Rhoads, there were times I was provided with three different perspectives of the same event. It was interesting to see how Rhoads viewed a particular moment of his career as compared to his mother or former coach.

The writing process proved to be somewhat difficult for me. I had never written a journalistic article before which made the transition to AP style a challenge. The only extensive writing I had done were scholastic essays about topics that could be easily researched online. Writing an article and needing to do primary research along with interviews proved to be a new and unique experience. I learned that with practice, like most things, AP style becomes easier. I would say that I am still far from proficient, but I am learning more and more with every passing assignment.

Unfortunately for the readers of my article, there are many hilarious details that I was unable to include in my story. Because I have known Rhoads for so long, there were things he disclosed to me during interviews that needed to remain off the record. Because I was a friend of his, he was able to “be real with me” in a way that he typically couldn’t with a professional reporter. Out of respect to my friend, I am leaving these details out of my story and blog.

Not much surprised me while writing this story. The only thing that surprised me was listening to the lengths competitors are willing to go to in order to maintain their competition weight. I am a foodie and could not imagine having to restrict my diet to the bare minimum in order to maintain a certain body weight.

In conclusion I would say that this article was a good way for me to be introduced to journalistic writing. I was able to cover a story that was interesting and provided me an opportunity to learn even more about a good friend. If anyone out there ever gets the chance to meet Will Rhoads, I would suggest getting to know him as best as you can. He is a unique individual with an incredible charisma and bright sense of humor. I am happy to call him one of my good friends.

ABOUT ME:

“This is your captain speaking. I want to thank you for choosing to fly with us today.”

I have dreamed of saying that sentence for as long as I can remember.

I have always wanted to be an airline pilot. Both my mother and father worked for Delta Airlines and I was fortunate enough to fly for free most of my life. Because of this, I have been able to travel the world and experience things I otherwise would have only been exposed to through BBC or Discovery Channel documentaries. It is my passion for travel and fear of remaining stagnant that fuels my desire to one day fly for a living.

Ever since I was young, I have found enjoyment at altitude. Looking out the window and seeing a sea of clouds, or city lights against an otherwise dark earth brings a sense of peace over me. I have always felt “at home” in the sky. Being able to fly for free has given me the opportunity to visit places like Rome, Paris, Kenya, South Africa and Australia just to name a few. The idea of making a career out of travel is what I find appealing. I cannot imagine spending my life working in the same office, with the same people, at the same location nearly every day until I retire. I want every day at work to have the potential of showing me something new.

Currently, I am finishing my junior year at the University of Utah. Throughout my time at the U, I have gained innumerable experiences and lifelong friendships. I am expecting to graduate in the spring of 2019 with a major in strategic communication. I have always had an interest in videography and hope to work in the field of marketing until I am able to establish myself as a commercial airline pilot.

I am eager to finish my education at the University of Utah so that I can start down the road to a career as an aviation professional.

MY STORY:

• Arts Pass benefits University of Utah students, staff, faculty

MY BLOG:

News writing is much different from what I had originally expected. I thought it was only about crime, new technology, and the weather channel. I have come to find out that news has to be a story that people want to read and feel they should share with friends and family. The audience wants to gain knowledge in an entertaining light which comes from the style of writing presented.

This style of writing was hard for me to master at first. I had a difficult time trying to find a balance between entertainment and factual evidence. I usually separate the two realms into research papers and writing for popular culture however, I found a way to combine the two for this article.

My first step was to do research on my broad topic of the different advantages of the UCard that is given to faculty staff and students of the University of Utah. After finding there are so many different advantages I narrowed my topic down to the Arts Pass developed by the College of Fine Arts. By researching more into the different aspects of the Arts Pass, I found that I had a great topic to write about.

This research also gave me more insight into how I wanted to shape my article, who I wanted to interview, and how I wanted the outcome to look. However, because I already had an idea of my direction it was hard to conduct my interviews without bias.

During my interviews I was very surprised because even though they all started with the same questions, they all ended with different outcomes. I interviewed people who were both younger and older than I and who are from different majors within the U. This was my favorite part because I was able to learn more about their involvement with the Fine Arts which was much different from my involvement. I liked their different opinions because even though they were different I found their interviews enhanced my story only further.

Overall, this article was very challenging to me because I had to learn many new rules, tactics, and themes. Although incorporating different opinions became difficult at times, I found that I flourished in figuring out a new organizational pattern. This class has taught me to incorporate entertainment with factual evidence to make my article exciting and intriguing for my audience to read.

ABOUT ME:

Writing was not my original passion in 2014 when I first began at the University of Utah. I wanted to become a physical therapist because I love being able to work with all types of people. However, after a few failed science classes I knew it was time to search for a field of studies that I felt confident in.

I took a few different communication courses to broaden my studies and found that I flourished in the studies of people. The ability to communicate with people and learn to build mutually beneficial relationships excites me. Expanding further beyond person-to-person experiences resulted in my newfound passion for writing and rhetoric.

One of my strongest attributes comes from the vast subjects of my writing pieces I hope to one day publish. I believe that moving from Palos Verdes Estates, California, to Salt Lake City broadened my horizons into learning more about myself and the new community where I now reside. It has also greatly influenced what I choose to write about.

Most of my writings this semester have been closely related to the many writing courses I am enrolled in. From creative storytelling to news writing I have only found room to improve. I found a passion in telling my own life stories because they are personable and true.

These personal stories help me communicate to my audience in hopes of finding a common ground to become relatable. I want my audience to know that I am a person just like them with passions and fears. But, I overcome my fears through research and find passion in my writings as a result of hard work and dedication.

MY STORY: 

• The Mormon mission experience

MY BLOG:

When it comes to developing ideas for a story I begin with thinking about what would interest me. Once I’ve narrowed it down to a few things that interest me I will go over those ideas and look into if there are sources that I could actually speak to or not.

Locating sources can be a challenge so I usually try to find something that is more publicly available so I can speak to sources directly instead of being funneled through their public relations department.

The best sources for my story were ultimately my family in regards to the subject I wrote about “The Mormon mission experience.” They were able to provide me information far beyond the scope of what I even thought I would be able to get.

That led to an issue when I was in the process of writing I realized that I had an overabundance of material, which caused me to have an extensive article written. I decided to focus more on the life in the mission aspect when writing my story as that was most interesting to me. So, I just figured if it was interesting to me it’d be interesting to readers who have no idea what a mission even is.

Luckily when writing my story, I was able to avoid any ethical or moral dilemmas as my story was more like a slice of life narrative and not some nitty gritty hard-hitting scandal.

There’s nothing from this story that I would include in my blog as I feel that I’ve told it adequately and to the best of my knowledge.

I was surprised by how much I don’t enjoy news writing. I am more of an advertising or public relations person so news writing just doesn’t interest me like at all.

ABOUT ME:

As a child my mother would always read to me, which sparked my love for the written word as well as the spoken word. Throughout middle school and high school, I always knew that I wanted to do something in regards to business and the public’s perception of a company.

When I graduated from Cottonwood High School in the spring of 2012 I decided to take a break from school and live in the real world. In the fall of 2013 I started taking classes at Salt Lake Community College in pursuit of an associate of science degree.

After receiving my AS in General Studies at the end of the Spring 2016 semester I transferred to the University of Utah.

I considered the many majors open to me: business administration, strategic communication, journalism, accounting and marketing. After a semester of uncertainty, I decided that I wanted to major in strategic communication.

Strategic communication interested me the most as it deals with advertising and public relations and how to compile data to best reach people and alter their views of things whether it be a product, company or person.

Once I finish at the U, I will use my superior creativity to go into advertising to create new and exciting things for the masses to love.

MY STORY:

• Caputo’s on the University of Utah campus

MY BLOG:

After finishing my first day in my first communication class, I was nervous. I had never taken a class that required me to pitch a story to my peers, interview sources for my story and then post my story on a website where anybody could potentially read it. I was intimidated to say the least.

After taking a leisurely stroll around the University of Utah’s campus I found myself drawn to something familiar.

Tony Caputo opened his U campus location in 2008 and ever since it’s been a major success. I have only known about Caputo’s for a few years now, but even then I know how authentic and fresh everything is. I then wondered how many people knew that there was a Caputo’s location on the U’s campus. I wrote my enterprise story on  the Caputo’s location on the U’s campus. I highlighted the restaurant and also gave brief background detail on Caputo and his ever growing business.

I knew that the employees at the campus location were very friendly and approachable making them possible sources. I also wanted to have a few customer sources as well to be able to get a few perspectives on the company and the food.

Knowing I could interview my roommate, Sam Fox, who is an avid Caputo’s customer, and Joelle Bleiman, who has come with me to Caputo’s before, I only had to get in contact with one of the employees. Making the connection with somebody I have never met made me nervous. I was going to have to ask a complete stranger how he liked his job as well as other semi-personal questions.

I decided to go in one day near closing to see if I could talk with one of the employees. Sean Rorke, one of the leading employees there, was very happy to chat with me. The other employee who was working was not interested in answering any questions.

Even though I was nervous going into this class and developing my enterprise story, I successfully accomplished everything I was worried about and more.  

ABOUT ME:

After spending most of my childhood in Las Vegas, Nevada, I moved to the Ogden Valley in 2011 with my family. And after graduating high school in 2015 I then moved to the Salt Lake Valley to attend college.

I am a third-year student at the University of Utah studying strategic communication and hoping to be graduating in the next two years. I love the U and can’t wait to continue on with my degree.

I am an avid skier and snowboarder and I love nothing more than spending my days exploring around the Wasatch Mountains finding new places to hike and ski.

I am not positive on where my life will take me, but I know that I am doing the things I love and progressing in the right directions.