Ruxandra Giura - Fall 2003

I am 21-year-old journalism student from Bucharest, Romania, and this is my first time to visit the United States and the first time out of my country. I am not the kind of person who always dreamed about being a journalist. In fact, I still take a few minutes every night and think about my career choices and always end up finding the same reason. I took up journalism because I like people and because news is about and for the people.

I have recently become interested in print and wire news. After my first year of college, I was an intern with the Romanian news bureau of Radio France Internationale, and one year later I worked for the local news department of a small television station in Bucharest, followed by an internship with the national television.

I thought I would never go to print until I joined a special journalism training program in which I put out a monthly student newspaper. Besides being a regular reporter, I held positions from graphics editor to editor in chief and I discovered the power of teamwork and the responsibilities of management. But on top of everything, I felt the fulfillment of meeting new people, dealing with new issues and trying to make a difference in the Romanian media, even if only on a student level.

In May 2003, I was accepted as an intern with the Reuters bureau in Romania, and this opened my appetite for business news and politics. I am lucky to be able to pursue my newfound interests by being an intern for the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire Service.

In May 2004, I expect to earn my degree in journalism from the University of Bucharest. I live with my parents and older brother, who are all engineers. Because my relatives are all in technology, I thought I would study to be a pharmacist. But in the seventh grade, I wrote an editorial for my student newspaper -- and it was on the front page. I still studied science, but in the 11th grade I realized science was not enough for me.

I am looking forward to discovering the new world that unfolds before my eyes every day. Being half a world away from my home is certainly not easy, but it’s all worth it. My biggest motivation comes from thinking that I will be going back home and really be able to make a difference for the people one day. And even if the Romanian media is going through a rough period I truly believe things will get better.

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