Why I Chose The Career Path I Did
The spring of my freshman year at Cornell University, I decided I was going to run for the position of scholarship chairman of my fraternity.
During the house meeting in which we held elections, I got up to speak and nearly passed out from stage fright. I still have no idea what I told the 30 people present, some of who would go on to become my closest friends. Needless to say, I did not win the election.
Twelve years later, I took great pleasure in showing off my oratory skills in front of some of those same people, giving a wedding toast for one of my best friends. My laugh lines included jokes about wainscoting and the New York City subway system, and I punctuated the final line of my speech – about how he’d once said he’d know he was an adult when he started using placemats – by presenting him with a set of placemats I’d bought at a dollar store in Queens.
How did I get over my stage fright? I followed the advice of one of my fraternity brothers, who on the day of my awful “speech” told me I should make a demo tape to get on-air at the student-run radio station, WVBR. That way I could practice speaking to an audience without having to see them.
I followed his advice, determined to turn a glaring weakness into a strength. Eventually I ended up spending enough time behind a microphone, first as a DJ, and later as a sports and newscaster, that the WVBR studios became a second home during the final three years of my college career. It also made me a better writer.
The chance to read a 90-second sports editorial every weeknight at 6 presented me the perfect opportunity to hone my skills and focus as a writer, something I had never previously been capable of doing in a classroom.
It was because I am an introvert who, when I was younger, suffered horribly from stage fright and lacked confidence in my oral and written communications skills, that I pursued a career in which my main responsibilities involve writing and interviewing people.