I was never supposed to take this job. After two years of working at a local journalism organization in Omaha, I put the industry behind me. At most, it was supposed to be something I did short-term for quick cash on my way to bigger and better things. It was never supposed to take up 3.5 years of my life and be my favorite thing I did in college.

When I applied for DITV, I applied as an editor, hoping that I would only have to edit videos, not turn any stories in. Yet when I went to my first pitch meeting, I volunteered for a story about banned books. I had surprised myself for the first time in this role, and certainly not the last time. Despite my self-proclaimed hatred for reporting, I worked diligently at my job, seeking out the stories I knew I would enjoy. Stories about what mattered to me, such as the arts and education. While I may not have enjoyed the entire process, I came to love putting together packages, seeing the end result, and coming away with something I could be proud of. Most of all, however, I loved seeing how it came together in the full newscast.

I entered the tech booth for the first time near the end of my first semester with The Daily Iowan. My news director encouraged people to try new roles, and I decided to brave the 7:30 a.m. call time and work my first morning show. Starting on Xpression, our graphics program, is the easiest role in the booth. This is a story that I’ve told many times now as I train new people for this role, which is hopefully the beginning of training them on all of the roles within the booth. My news director told me Xpression was just two buttons, down and enter. While it’s not that complicated, it’s not exactly that simple either. So, of course, my first show was a disaster. As I’ve come to tell new tech staffers, your first show in a new position always will be, or at least it will feel like, a disaster once you look back on it.

I ended my first semester with DITV with a determination in mind; when I returned in the fall, I would attend morning shows more regularly, twice a week, doing graphics and audio, and eventually learning to tech direct. For the first time, I felt driven and excited about this job; I couldn’t wait to go back to school. I accomplished these goals and so much more, eventually learning to direct, and this year taking up the helm as the tech director.

Working in this position, training new tech staffers, and watching the show grow and evolve during my time at DITV has been a joy. Working with the physical set and our ambitious plans this semester, like the election show and One Day for Iowa, has been amazing.

Most of all, DITV has taught me to push forward even when things aren’t going as expected. To not stop and freeze just because you mess up. How to think on my feet, how to pivot. And above all else, how to accept failure with grace and keep going after you screw up. These skills that I’ve learned as a director are ones I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

I’ll be sure to keep in mind all the experiences I’ve had and the things I’ve learned from this job. With my time at DITV in mind, I’m ready to press take on the next part of my life.