Jackie.

Anyone who know me knows that I've been Jackie Nespral's number one fan since I was like 10. I know. I'm a huge dork.

I grew up watching NBC6, and I was always drawn to the making of a newscast, and I just always loved her because she seemed so down to earth. She was the first person that I wanted to mold my career after, and she's been one of my role models for such a long time.

Since I started my internship there, I've been slightly starstruck from seeing all these personalities I grew up with face-to-face. But I've always wanted to meet Jackie.

Today I got that chance!

She usually comes in after I leave, so I'd never seen her in person before. But today she had a story to edit, so she came a little early. For the record, the woman is flawless. She doesn't look a day over 30. I want to look like that when I'm older. Before I left, I mustered up all my courage and stopped by her office. The conversation went a little something like this (with my thoughts for extra kicks):

(knock on door)
Jackie: Come in...
Me: Hiii. I'm Alexandra, I'm one of the interns this summer. It's great to meet you. (shakes hand. heart stops.)
Jackie: Hi Alexandra! Welcome aboard, it's great to have you.
Me: Thanks! I just wanted to let you know....(how do I tell her I love her and admire her without sounding like a creeper?)...you're awesome. (What did I just say??? I look like a fool. Good job. She thinks you're an idiot now.)
Jackie: (laughs) Aw, thank you so much.
Me: Well I really wanted to ask you... I wanted to know if you would be willing to look over my tape sometime and give me some pointers?
Jackie: Sure! Of course. Just drop by anytime and I'll be more than happy to look it over for you.
Me: Great! Thank you so much! It was great meeting you.
Jackie: Same here! Bye!
(leave office. legs shake.)

I'm so happy right now!

That's all I wanted to share. :)

Great News!

I want to thank everyone for all of your prayers!

Gabby got the job! :D

I'm so excited/proud/happy for him to start not just a new job, but a career that he is passionate about. God has been so good to us, and we have been patient in waiting on His will.

In our small group we've been studying the book of Genesis, and something we discussed (a few weeks ago in fact) was praying specifically for things. I argued that I wouldn't be able to tell God specifically what I wanted, just because I'd feel like I'm telling Him what to do for me, when He's the one who knows the plans He has for me. But some of my friends mentioned that they had prayed specifically for certain things, and in doing so were able to more clearly see God's answer to those prayers. That is definitely true in this situation. Gabby wants to teach at the university level one day, and I mentioned to him that teaching an AP course would probably be something he would enjoy.

Well, the position he is being considered for is to teach AP American History for 11th and 12th graders.

Seriously. How perfect is that?

Only God can make things work out so beautifully. Thanks again to everyone for all your prayers! :)

Naples Vacation

For Memorial Day Weekend, my family and I took a much-needed getaway to beautiful Naples. It was just what we needed after a crazy Spring semester! We stayed in my uncle's apartment on Vanderbilt Beach, and did absolutely nothing but lay out by the beach and pool. It was glorious.

Here are some pictures:

my cousin & uncle love gourmet cooking, so for dinner one night they grilled some salmon fillets on cedar planks! So good. :)

As you can see, Naples has some pretty awesome sunsets. On our last night (Sunday), we walked over to the beach to take some photos. It's actually pretty crazy, but you can see the sun moving over the horizon! The coolest part about it, besides the sheer beauty of it, is that after the sun faded over the horizon, everyone on the beach started cheering. It was almost like they were giving a round of applause to God for the marvelous creation He made. The only thing I thought about was this verse from the book of Psalms:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

--Psalm 19:1-6

 

Keep Them Prayers Comin'!

I've already been so busy this summer! Spring classes went well for me (2 B's and 2 A's! Yay me!), but only a week later Summer A semester began. I'm taking Judicial Process and The Presidency, which Gabby is helping me with since he's my designated history nerd. Summer goes by so fast! I only have two weeks left of classes, then I'll have the rest of the summer off of school. Freedom!

On top of school and work, I'm also currently interning at NBC-6 up in Miramar. So far, so GREAT. I'm loving every minute of this internship! My schedule is Thursday during the day and Saturday/Sunday from 2-11pm. I'm crazy, I know. But I'm getting so much experience, and hopefully I'm leaving a good impression for the managers here. Pray for me!

Speaking of prayer, please keep Gabby in your prayers as well! He's been searching for jobs ever since he graduated in December, but hasn't heard anything. He recently submitted his resume to literally EVERY middle school or high school in the area, and he has an interview on Monday at Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School! We have been praying for patience in finding a job, and God has definitely challenged us to trust in His plan. Hopefully this is part of that plan. If not, that's fine too.

So things are definitely looking up for us right about now. We're both very grateful and very excited for what God has in store for us. Continue to keep us in your prayers, and I promise I will try to keep the blogging up to date.

60 Minutes: Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Part 1 and 2

Another excellent segment on this week's "60 Minutes". The blowup of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico led to one of the worst oil spills in history. Mike Williams, the rig's Chief Electronics Technician, told his harrowing story of what happened in the days and weeks leading up to the explosion, and how he survived.


Part 1:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Part 2:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

What NOT to do...when saying "penis" on Live TV

I've lived in Miami my entire life, and never have I seen anchors lose it on live TV! At least until the other night. This new installment of "What Not to Do" is pretty funny. It's not really something you can help, so I hesitate a bit in categorizing this as a TV 'no-no'. In any case, it's hilarious.

In high school, during our morning news show, if we lost it on the air we got the wrath of our teacher. But some things are just too funny to NOT laugh at. Case in point: WFOR-CBS4's Shannon Hori and Antonio Mora losing it after mentioning the male genitalia in a voice over. What ensues is a whole bunch of awesomeness.

Miami Lighthouse Soundslides Project

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to spend the morning with an inspiring group of people at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  This rehabilitation center is close to the heart for me. My dad has been going there for a few months now, since his vision has dramatically deteriorated over time. He always told me how great the Lighthouse is, and when I had the opportunity to cover a story of my choice in my Broadcast News Reporting class, I decided that there was no better place to cover than the Miami Lighthouse.

This is the project I did using Soundslides. Tell me what you think!



(View the larger version of this slideshow)




For more information on how you can help the Miami Lighthouse, click here.

Special thanks to everyone at the Lighthouse for being so welcoming and gracious!