Maitlynn Mossolle's Portfolio

            In September of 2013, one of my classmates came out as gay.  He is really into politics and helping the school become a better place, so he created a club called the Gay-Straight Alliance, GSA for short.  There are thousands of other GSA clubs in the country including some at other local high schools in the area.  When asked to join the club, I immediately agreed to join because I knew it would be a great opportunity to get other points of view and because I knew that it was a club that could be really beneficial to our school.

            When I joined the club, I knew that it was not going to be an awkward experience, because the guy who started the club wanted to start the club to make things in the school not awkward on subject like that. Even though I do not have the same sexual orientation as some of the other members it is still one of the most enjoyable clubs I’ve been in and also that’s why it’s called the Gay-Straight Alliance.  I really just wanted to join the club to gain a little more perspective on things, especially because coming from such a small town, people tend to be a little more closed-minded.  I also love being an advocate for certain things and LGBT rights have always been a topic of interest for me so of course, I jumped right on the bandwagon. Now, despite being so hesitant at first, i am now the Vice President of the club. 

            At the meetings, all the club members circle up and we all give ideas or our thoughts on things such as what we want to see the club become, fundraiser opportunities, club activities, and even ways to get connected with other GSA clubs in the area.  Because I am so interested and excited about the mission and goals of the club, and I have a very talkative personality, I tend to do a lot of talking.  However, I do make a point to make sure to allow other members to speak their minds and I listen and help them to get their ideas out there.  The people in the club are generally fairly quiet personalities so I feel that the club is also going to be a great opportunity to help them open up, and I feel like it already has.  Whenever someone else has an idea of something to do or an idea on a shirt design, I am always there one-hundred percent to support it and I will even ask what their entire idea entails.  All in all I do well at not only giving a lot of ideas, but also listening and interpreting others’ as well.

            In the professional Journalism world it is going to be very important to understand other peoples’ point of view despite your prior judgment.  Someday I could very well be put on an assignment to write about something I may not necessarily agree with; however, I am going to have to seek to understand a little bit more so that I can do my job.  Also, in journalism I am going to be working with different groups of people and I will need to not only be able to listen to what they have to say, but use my inquisitive properties of the job to better understand what they have to say. Personally, as well, you are always going to need to keep an open-mind about certain subjects, such as homosexuality.  Seeking to understand the different points of view of others has only benefitted me in the short and long run.  Being able to listen to other people’s ideas and better ask them questions on them has also become a stronger quality of mine throughout the years.  I am very proud to say that I have these qualities; especially as I go off on my own in the real world, those skills will be absolutely crucial.