Today is August 22, 2012. On August 22, 2011, I stepped into an AP building as an employee for the first time. This day marks one year with The Associated Press, all the more important because I’ve never stayed at any professional organization a whole year. I’m early enough in my career here that I’m still counting months, late enough that I understand how to deploy basic resources to try to make my journalistic dreams a reality.
I’m just elated, and hope that everyone can find a good match like this, where they don’t just go to work for a paycheck, but because their mission aligns with their organization.
In a cover letter I wrote more than a year ago, I said of the AP, “I’m ecstatic at the opportunity to contribute to this work and continue to push it ever forward.” That’s a sentence that’s as true today as it was back then.
Thankful for support from colleagues and leadership around the globe on the technical, design and editorial sides. They respect me for my knowledge and caliber of my work, but understand that there’s much I don’t know yet, and am still navigating. I’m learning a lot (especially for a year!), we’re making progress and I never dreamed I’d have this much of an opportunity so soon.
Time to get back to it! Here’s to Year Two!