Oh, she did. Not long after I completed this letter, I sent it off to Madison’s email at her station (she had just finished her dayside shift after the 6 pm newscast. She loved every word of it.
It was 13 years ago that I found myself accepted to Youngstown State University in Youngstown State University. I had many dreams in my boyhood. Going to YSU was near the top of the list.
At the tender age of eight years, I told my art teacher, Mr. Anderson, that I wanted to go to Youngstown State when I grew up. He told me that I had plenty of time before that.
10 years later, this boyhood dream of mine was realized. YSU served as the setting for some of the most magical moments I’ve ever had and ever will have.
From the sun-drenched summer morning where I came onto the campus for the first time until the rain-swept Saturday afternoon in 2017 where I graduated, I enjoyed every minute… even if commencement went way too fast that spring day.
From all of the football games that I saw, including the overtime thriller in the third round of the FCS Playoffs my senior year, to all of the lessons I learned, to all of the friends I made and kept, I wouldn’t have traded those years away for anything else.
College is such a magical time in life. I love my experience is as well and I am so glad you loved your experience. We are lucky for the opportunity to have such a special time in our lives. <3 Lauren
I’m glad you were able to College life by going to YSU. You were also able to enjoy being there, so I’m sure it made your time flyby even quicker. Specially when you had those dreading classes To take in order to graduate. At least you can now cherish YSU in your memories.
It was a great seven years, for certain. I think my favorite part was my internship in senior year. I made two friends on that internship. We’ve known each other seven years.
That’s so wonderful, you filled a huge dream you had from your young age, where most don’t do that, and you truly enjoyed it. I’m so happy for you and hope the rest of your life is the same; that you get what you wish. Keep enjoying your life. There’s so much going on out there to distract you. Keep your head up!
When I started college, I wondered what the experience would be like. I had a great time and wouldn’t have traded away those seven years for anything in the world.
Dear Madison,
As you know, television news is an intense business. Murders, fires, funerals, anything you can shake a stick at… and those are the first 10 minutes of the newscast most nights.
However, there’s also a lot of negativity about how the news is presented. The heavy politicization of news can take its toll on any anchor person, no matter who it is.
However, despite the negativity that journalists get on a daily basis, your talent shines through, day in, day out. Your station is lucky to have you.
Any station in the country would be lucky to have you. I’m very fortunate that you and I are in the Youngstown Press Club together. When you and I took that selfie together, I knew this was the start of a great friendship.
As someone on the autism spectrum, making new friends is oftentimes easier said than done, but you were very warm and welcoming to me when we met at the Christmas party.
Aww Drew this is so sweet. Madison sounds like and sweet, talented and wonderful reporter. I am sure she will appreciate you writing such a beautiful for tribute to her. Never change, Drew. Your heart is so sweet. <3 Lauren
Oh, she did. Not long after I completed this letter, I sent it off to Madison’s email at her station (she had just finished her dayside shift after the 6 pm newscast. She loved every word of it.
I happened to see Madison again last week at the Press Club’s Annual Meeting. It was the first time I’d seen her since the letter. She hugged me. I thought she’d start bawling again.
It’s so crazy News Anchors are like superheroes if you think about it. Some news that they take is so hard to carry but they tend to deliver it in such a respectful way towards everyone. I don’t know how they can do it but I find it so cool That they could also say lines without making a mistake or improv.
In a profession where the workers are seemingly under attack by the general public on a daily basis due to a lack of trust and a perception of misinformation, Madison thrives.
Madison is lucky to have a friend like you. You recognize her talent and support and appreciate her. She sounds like a wonderful person and I’m sure this post is definitely something that would inspire her to keep going.
In a profession where the workers are seemingly under attack by the general public on a daily basis due to a lack of trust and a perception of misinformation, Madison thrives.
Is he currently going through job counseling? What was his major in college? What is he passionate about? What would he like to pursue for his livelihood? I wish him nothing but success.
Drew, your story about your “hat in the ring” is truly inspiration! Thank you for always being in my corner! I was inspired by your risk and I am taking my own!
As they say, “Now I have to execute the game plan!!
.
Almost six years ago, I graduated from Youngstown State University with honors and a Bachelor’s Degree of Journalism. I majored in Journalism, but I always tell people that I had a double-minor at YSU. I technically minored in Communication, but I had another minor: Determination.
Being on the autism spectrum, I attended job counseling. Every week, my job counselor had me try my best to find leads on job openings in journalism. It’s a small field and it’s something that’s easier said than done because of it.
About a month and a half into job counseling, I applied for, and was granted a job interview for, a production assistant’s position at one of the local network affiliates in town.
Days turned to weeks, and the weeks stretched into a few months. By this point, I was well into spring and still had no job. It seemed bleak, but a college classmate of mine told me about a website he was writing for.
So, I applied. Initially, I was declined because I wasn’t in the market of a major Division I athletic program, but I mentioned to the person in charge of onboarding that I’m a fan in MMA and in the fight game, there’s no offseason, just off weekends.
On the strength of that alone, I was hired as an MMA writer. Had I not taken a chance on the fight game, I’m not sure where I’d be today. 2023 marks my sixth year of writing about MMA and my second of writing about soccer.
If you’re willing to take a risk on yourself, the payoff can be something amazing. GO FOR IT!
Drew, I absolutely love this. You are INCREDIBLE. I think you should connect with fellow member @jsapril He has CP and he is going through the process of trying to get a job. <3 Lauren
Is he currently going through job counseling? What was his major in college? What is he passionate about? What would he like to pursue for his livelihood? I wish him nothing but success.
Drew, your story about your “hat in the ring” is truly inspiration! Thank you for always being in my corner! I was inspired by your risk and I am taking my own!
As they say, “Now I have to execute the game plan!!
.
Hi Drew!
Already we have a lot in common because I myself am majoring in Journalism and Communications. Who you know can definitely play a huge factor in this field, at times over what you know it appears. From experience, finding jobs in this field can most definitely be a challenge, but having a support group and people in your circle that want…read more
Drew your letters are so amazing I’m glad that you were able to feel close to The Unsealed family by sharing your everyday life and process with autism. It takes a lot of bravery to do that. You are a great writer and just like the opportunities you have now for writing I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us.
The power of not giving up is unmatched. You took that leap and I’m glad you did. You seem very pleased with your success. Congratulations on 6 years of writing about MMA. Proud of you.
You’re so right, Go for it, what’s stopping you and you went for it, Congrats! I’m so glad you got the job of writing that you truly wanted with a true statement of being a fan of MMA, along with your Journalism degree, that is amazing, and a great accomplishment. As you’ve stated, take a risk, go for it, and everyone (as well as myself) had this…read more
Dude you are amazing, You never gave up and you kept trying no matter what and your hard work truly paid off. I wish you nothing but success and thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Mrs. Brill. Your daughter is a strong person, much like I am. You’ve got so much to be proud of her for. She’s Brill…iant. See what I did there?
Dear Mrs. Shuster:
Even though it’s been close to 13 years since I left the halls of Lakeview High School, but you are still my favorite teacher of all-time in my academic career. When I was just eight years old, you introduced me to The Rich Center at Youngstown State.
When I was 10, I was moved to your classroom and enjoyed every minute of it. Several years later, you moved to the high school. At age 15, you had a front-row seat to my pimply adolescence and saw how advanced my sense of humor became.
Around all of the fun we had, as well as going through the trials and tribulations of surviving high school while on the autism spectrum, you and I became family.
I could just see how proud you were of me at graduation that spring day in 2010. You are the best teacher in Ohio, and I consider you my honorary mom.
You’re the best, Mrs. Shuster! I couldn’t have made it through high school without you.
I think it’s safe to say we all have that one teacher who impacted our life. I know I have at least 3 teachers that made a difference in my education. Teachers like are are what make us want to keep pushing through. Thank you for sharing.
This touched me so much and I’m so glad you had a teacher that inspired you. Myself, I can’t even remember any of my teachers, whether they were great to me or not, I just can’t remember. Not sure if it’s because I’m at the age of 66, or there wasn’t one that touched me in a way that I would remember. Just as our parents, teachers are great role…read more
This is so sweet. I’m glad you met someone so wonderful and so supportive of you. she truly is a wonderful motherly figure who supported you and impacted your life in a wonderful way.
Katie,
Many years ago, I knew I wanted to be a sports reporter. I grew up idolizing the stalwarts like Keith Jackson, James Brown, Jon Miller, et al. But I knew that just naming names wouldn’t even be close to enough.
When you and I became close friends, you were among the first people to see fire and potential in me. You said it yourself with four brief, yet powerful words: “I believe in you.” This was all I needed to know I had someone in my corner.
You saw potential in me before a couple of my professors did, and I thank you a million times over for that. Even when I was down on myself, you told me not to worry, as it would eventually turn around. When I was hired as an MMA writer at my first job, you celebrated with me. When I was close to hitting milestone numbers as far as my article count, you were rooting me on.
When I just wanted to talk about whatever it was that was on my mind, you were among the first people I would email, and it’s for this reason that I look forward to our conversations every single week, even when it seems that I have nothing to talk about.
As I graduated from Youngstown State and prepared to enter the working world, I asked you to be a reference for my resume. Happily, you said yes, and when I needed a letter of recommendation, I asked you. Happily, you said yes.
It took me a few years to realize how big of a role you played in my career, but I sat down in my room one night and thought it over.
Like a right hook from Edgar Berlanga in the Top Rank Boxing ring, it hit me: You, Katie, are my mentor. I’ve always rooted you on, just as you’ve supported me. We’ll always stick up for one another, through the best of times and the worst of times.
I wouldn’t trade my friendship with you for anything else in the world. It’s invaluable to me. There is no denying that you are the best person I know. You are a talented sports reporter and a true friend.
Thanks for always being in my corner.
Drew I am glad that you have someone that supports you and became close friends with you through that support. Its always nice to have someone to help motivate you into being the best you there is. You can not find many people today that will be on the same level of friendship that you and Katie are on. The level of support and motivation you guys…read more
I know there are times in our lives and in our world where it appears that people are out to get us, even though we think we’ve done nothing wrong. We do everything right, or so it would appear, and yet we still get reamed for it– even though we don’t even so much as deserve to be criticized for it.
I also know that there are times when we are faced with scary moments, but it’s within those scary moments that we can learn something from ourselves.
16 years ago, I was in the eighth grade, just a few short weeks away from moving onto high school. It was on that day where I felt comfortable enough to disclose that I was autistic to my classmates for the first time in my life.
Although I had the full support of my teacher that day and although the students who knew me knew I was mainstreamed, it still scared the hell out of me to tell the story.
I started to explain the fact that I had autism and some of the kids didn’t understand what the hell it was that I had been talking about. There were puzzled looks on some students’ faces, and the teacher quickly said “He has autism.”
Even though the students who I had been mainstreamed with knew I had special needs, they didn’t really know that it was autism… and it was because I kept it in for longer than I should have… but happily, each time I tell someone that I have autism, it gets progressively easier and thus, less scary to tell.
Although the fear of telling someone that I have autism doesn’t completely go away (hopefully it keeps going away with time,) that spring afternoon in 2006 served as a moment of clarity for me.
The moments where we, as people, are fearful the most, can also serve as moments where we can learn valuable lessons, and it’s those teaching moments that help us grow as people.
Thus, the big takeaway from this letter is simple:
You are stronger than you may think. All it takes is a little bit of smarts, a fair amount of guts, and a great deal of support.
If you have all three of those qualities, you’ll be going places.
What scares the hell out of us can also make for our most valuable lessons.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and inspire somebody! Good luck!
Dear Drew,
Congratulations on being brave and strong. I am glad you were open with your peers. You sound like a special person. Your classmates are lucky to have you in their classroom. I am sure with your confidence and strength you will achieve great things. You are an inspiration to me and many people who lives you have touched.
Drew, This is such a beautiful letter. No matter what our situation in life is, we all need to have courage at some point and share our true selves with the world. For me, telling people I was a sexual assault survivor was terrifying. I was someone who everyone thought had it all together – and for the most part i did. But this secret was eating…read more
Thanks, Mrs. Brill. Your daughter is a strong person, much like I am. You’ve got so much to be proud of her for. She’s Brill…iant. See what I did there?
Thank you for sharing that letter. I know how hard it is to share things about yourself that others may think are signs of a dysfunctional person, but you are a testament to the fact that, that simply is not the case. Get at it every day and do not be afraid. I have Cerebral Palsy and that simple lesson took me years to practice.