I began my NMI career in the Fall of 2019. My advisor recommended I take the Introduction to New Media class and consider adding the certificate to supplement my current degree track. At the time of taking the intro course, I was an intended Grady journalism major with a minor in Spanish. Now, as I am completing the New Media Production course that taught me how to build this website, I am a journalism and Spanish double major pursuing the NMI degree.

I struggled a bit in the introduction course, and that really made me reconsider why I wanted to pursue the certificate in the first place. I wanted to have a background in technology and computer skills to make me a more competitive candidate in the journalism industry. All media industries are almost entirely digital at this point, and knowing my way around a computer would be a great asset. However, it was my TA in the introduction class that convinced me the certificate was worth trying to overcome the struggles I would face during the intro course.

He said firstly that NMI courses would teach you to think practically and build your critical thinking skills. I can say with complete certainty that the Production course has forced me to evolve the way I think about problem solving. Coding websites from scratch requires a high degree of attention to detail and finding different ways to overcome errors in your code. This course has made me a better journalist and a better problem solver overall.

My TA also said that the NMI program would help you build a working portfolio, much like the one I began in the Production course. He said that having a digital portfolio to display all of the work and projects you complete in college is invaluable when entering the job market. I am confident that throughout my time in the NMI certificate courses and completing course work for my other degrees will create a well rounded digital portfolio that will set me up for success in the future.

I completed Digital Brown Bag in the Spring of 2021 and completed Capstone in the Fall of 2021. In Capstone, along with Emily Petraglia, Alaina O’Regan, Carlton Yarborough, and Jane Lian, we were Team Studio Not Found. We built the Studio Not Found website that hosts training modules and a reservation system for users as well as social media promoting the studio and blog style content about anything from the equipment to updates on construction.

As my time at UGA comes to an end, I am incredibly thankful to all of the wonderful professors and classmates I got to know along the way. I know that the experiences and skills that comes along with being a New Media Certificate student will be incredibly valuable as I being the next chapter in my life.