I have always had a vision of where I want to end up in life. Sure, that vision can change every year, month, maybe even every day. That’s just what happens as you expand your knowledge and experiences in the world. However, having that dream is what keeps you grinding through the tough times and is what gives you that sense of accomplishment as you progress towards the end goal.
Let’s rewind to October 2, 2019. I arrived in Point Pleasant, WV, for what was going to be five days of hard work and information overload. I had multiple tasks that I needed to accomplish for not only our BrandJRNY capstone team, but also for the visual brand storytelling team. With an overwhelming amount of tasks and jobs, I decided to compile a list to keep me organized.
Task List:
Assist in conducting two community roundtables
Conduct interviews with community members about their experiences in Point Pleasant
Collect information and storefront images of every business in Point Pleasant
Conduct interviews with the capstone team about their roundtable experiences
Capture images and video of multiple town events throughout the week
The first two days were dedicated solely to myself and the team conducting our community roundtables. These roundtables are done to gather a baseline for what Point Pleasant means to its community members. They consist of long, open discussions with community members to gain their views and attitudes towards not only their town, but the rebranding initiative itself. My responsibilities were scattered, including assisting the researcher directs while they promoted the discussion, making sure the participants understood the process, and helping to collect visuals that would later be used in our roundtable recap video.
It’s a great feeling to complete a task; however, with BrandJRNY, completing a task is just a stepping stone on a long path to the overarching goal. The next few days had a heavy focus on collecting video and photo content while networking with residents throughout the town. There are many different aspects of BrandJRNY; however, the one component that I find the most rewarding and important is talking with people in the town. Going into businesses, explaining the reason for my visit, and seeing everyone’s reaction to the work we are doing is amazing. It reminds me why I push myself, why I go beyond the classroom, and why organizations like BrandJRNY are so special in this line of work.
A goal is just a dream with a deadline. That’s something I always write on the busy calendar in my apartment, and it’s something I live by everyday. Find something you are passionate about, imagine where you envision yourself in life, and set a deadline. That’s when your dream becomes something you are actively working towards. As expected, working with two BrandJRNY teams at once has been a challenge. Although I didn’t know that success was a certainty, it was a dream I had, and I pursued it. Work every day to make your dreams a reality, and you may be surprised how attainable those dreams actually are.
“My name is Nick Morin. I am the Digital/Social Media Director of the BrandJRNY Capstone team as well as the lead Videographer for the BrandJRNY Visual Brand Storytelling team and I’ve never set a goal that I didn’t plan to fulfill” - @NickMorin_