New York I love you!
While heading to New York is not exactly the typical Spring Break trip – especially when the Northeast is going through a period of snowfall that is breaking all-time records – it was exactly what I needed. Working so hard during the first half of the spring semester had brought my daily energy levels to an all-time low, but the city that never sleeps really brought my back to life. Experiencing the fast-paced life of Manhattan was definitely different from what I’m used to here in Nashville, and it was fantastic.
For two full days on the VMA trip, we got to pretend to be grown-ups, professionals in the real world. We weren’t working, but the trip made me wish we were! For a long time now, I have been interested in the media industry, but I have to admit I didn’t know that much about it. I learned more than I honestly thought I would on this trip, by speaking to so many people that had such different roles in the multifaceted industry. In the two short days, we were able to visit five companies (including Facebook!), and talk to Vanderbilt alumni from at least 15 more. My favorite visit was the first visit to NBC Universal, it was informative and interesting, but we also got to take a tour of the studios, and see the SNL stage in person!
Getting to learn about these companies and the responsibilities of the employees we had a chance to talk to has changed my life. It has taught me a lot about the field I want to go into, and most importantly motivated me to continue to strive for it. I will, however, have to admit, that probably 50% of the motivation for me personally comes from the city itself, but hey, it’s New York.
-Niina Kurki