A wise man once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” That man was named Walt Disney.
This inspiring quote can apply to so many things. In fact, a young girl named Ashton Patykula, 8, had the desire to pursue her dreams of becoming a news anchor. She auditioned to be on her school’s very own news crew. Whether she was actually on camera or working behind the scenes, she made an impact on what goes on at her school, Lighthouse Elementary in Jupiter, Florida, every day.
Patykula’s daily school schedule begins like any other second grader’s. She said, “My mom drops me off at 7:30 in the morning, and the actual news starts at 7:50.”
From the car loop, she makes her way to the Media Center. Once inside, she greets Ms. Baynham, the Lighthouse Elementary Media Specialist who runs the morning news, and then, at last the magic begins.
Some people may think that a small group of second graders could never pull off a morning news show. Well, the kids at Lighthouse Elementary have proved the doubters wrong. There are so many components that go into a daily news production. Patykula explains how there are many different jobs that make the news the very best it can be. These include the three students who do all of the special effects, a teleprompter controller, two students who do the lunch menu, and the two main anchors. Without all of these dedicated students, the show wouldn’t run as smoothly as it does to this day.
Being on the news may seem like such an easy, stress-free task, but far from it. Young children, like Patykula, get anxious every day on the air. “Sometimes I get nervous that I’m not talking loud enough or that I’ll mess up reading the words on the teleprompter because they can move really fast.” There can also be added pressure because all of her peers and teachers are watching her performance.
Being on the news live may be stressful, but there are also benefits to the job. Patykula elaborates how she loves making new friends with kids from other classes and is excited to see herself in the news crew yearbook picture. If these young students hadn’t committed to coming to the news studio every day, they wouldn’t have these wonderful opportunities and experiences.
Nobody can predict what will happen in anyone’s future, but Patykula already has an idea for what will hopefully lie ahead in hers. “I think that I would want to try to go to Bak like my big sister Leighton and learn all about the news,” she said. At Bak Middle School of the Arts, Patykula can not only learn about the news, but she can really see what the Communication Arts program has to offer, while also getting a high-level education.
Patykula has a dream of becoming a news anchor. Today, she is in her school’s morning show and perhaps someday she could be at Bak’s. She could well be on her way to a powerful career goal, which is rooted in passionate storytelling, interviewing, and connecting with her community.
