Week 1 Project: My MCBS Story

Before I started the MCBS Program I thought I was content in staying where I was as a self-taught Video Editor/Media Director, and that I would continue on in this career with no professional education. Now a days, there are so many online tutorials and resources that if I can’t figure something out, I know exactly where to go. My experience over the past 16 years in this field has gotten me where I’m at today, so I figured why change things?

I had always thought I wanted to attend college so I could learn new things and be able to stay on top of this face paced, ever changing world of Media and Technology. If I did go to college, I would be the first one in my family to ever do so. Growing up in Texas, my family worked in the oil field. None of them attended college and most of them never left my hometown.

But then life happened. I got married, had kids, moved across country, got a job and then next thing I know, I turned 40, and then 41. I haven’t met many people my age who are in the same boat as I am or who want to go back to school this late in the game.

And because of that, I thought my window of opportunity was gone. I let myself settle in being ok with what I taught myself in all these years and content with the fact of being employed as the Media Director for a church. I edit videos, install Media systems, direct a live stream, plan and execute video shoots, mentor others and even have a few side jobs as well. Everything has been going great, until I decided there had to be more and I have to do more than just what I’ve been doing or how I’ve learned all these years.

Because of that, I knew I had to do something different in order to stay current and up to date with the Media industry. I’ve seen this industry change so much over the last 16 years and I know there is more for me to learn and discover. So this time, I wanted to step out and try a whole new approach to learning by actually enrolling into school and taking classes that actually meant something on paper.

Because of that, I started researching and searching online schools that had degree programs in the Media field. I figured this would have been a horrible time to do a complete career change so I knew I had to stick with what I knew.

Until finally I found Full Sail’s online Media Communication Bachelor’s degree program. It was like a “Eureka” moment when I saw the program and I knew this was the program for me.

I finally was going to take my years of experience and combine them with a college degree. And ever since I decided to pursue my passion for media and increase the knowledge I’ve taught myself in over these 16 years, I can now look at this industry with a fresh pair of eyes and be excited for where this journey will take me in the future.

After watching Stacey Williams Ng’s video, I learned that it’s ok to be informal in a formal setting. I have to keep in mind that people want to know me and I have to let them into my journey. If I want to keep my story interesting, I have to give more details and insight so the reader will stay engaged. Facts about me are good, but a story that is mixed in with my facts is more interesting and inviting to the listener and/or reader.