Chelsea Tyson, born and raised in Hawaii, interned at D.C.-based startup incubator, 1776 when she attended the Washington Journalism Center in 2015. She graduated from Regent University in 2015 and now lives in New York City working as a reporter for trade publication, 401kWire.
Even though it has been less than a year since I moved here, I cannot deny the impact my semester at WJC had/continues to have on my day to day life, navigating my first year living on my own... in New York of all places. I cannot count the times I have found myself implementing the practices/habits I learned through the program. While I didn't know it at the time, the bus days, service projects and emphasis on getting plugged into a church developed a discipline that helped me transition into living in a big city on my own.
When I first moved to New York, I was job searching/working at Starbucks which gave me a lot of time to explore the city. My first week here, I mapped out all the major publications and just went to see (and geek out in front of) all of them. As I was doing this random, solo field trip, I realized I essentially sent myself on a bus day. Then, soon after, I got plugged into a couple of churches that helped me form a solid community here which is a big part of what helped make New York feel like my home. I also sought out volunteer opportunities and found an after school tutoring program (an opportunity I would never have sought out if it weren't for the community service element of WJC).
That semester, I wanted to learn all about what I needed to do to get my "dream job," but I ended up learning how to immerse myself and get the most out of whatever city I live in -- a lesson that has proven to be far more valuable.