School: Florida A&M University
Year: Fall 2012 – Fall 2015
House: Florida Retail Federation
My name is Gabrielle Dawkins and I am a Broadcast Journalism student at FAMU. I enjoy quality time with family, I am a dedicated worker, and I try to maintain peace and happiness throughout my hectic life.
When SSF asked me what situation helped shape me into me, I found it hard to answer. I could not pinpoint a specific life experience that has impacted me; instead it was more a collection of experiences and people that have made me the person I am today.
There are many circumstances I have endured in my life that have allowed me to realize my true purpose. Anchoring in elementary school for the morning news announcement at Watkins Elementary opened up the world of media to me. This early opportunity helped prepare me for my future endeavor of anchoring at FAMU News 20 at Five, an on-campus news station with a live production three times a week that airs to over 80,000 households in Tallahassee and South Georgia! I gained more great media experience from this position, learning how to create and edit videos, interview people from all walks of life, and work with a team to produce a well-balanced show.
The skill set that I have acquired within my field and life were not self taught. I have the most amazing role models that continue to steer me in the right direction. My parents, Mr. Bowers, Professor Jones, and my close friends are the ones that keep me grounded, and truly liberate and empower me to do better in every area of my life.
There are so many more situations that have shaped me: the passing of my grandmother showed me to truly cherish life and value my family, my study abroad experience in China humbled me by causing me to realize the things we take for granted in America, and growing up while being responsible for my little brother and not having everything I wanted taught me a strong work ethic and the value of a dollar. Who I am is bigger than one story; it is thousands of stories and experiences each honing and preparing me for the next.
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