Natalie Robertson. Communication: Broadcast and Digital Journalism

Hi! I am Natalie Robertson. I was born in 2003 to Denise and Scott Robertson. My parents did not attend college, but they taught me the importance of hard work and entrepreneurship. Throughout my years in high school, I competed in pageants. Pageants taught me to speak eloquently and present myself to people in a professional way. I also grew up in the music industry. I started writing music at 12 years old and it became a huge part of my self expression and identity. All of these experiences led me to where I am now: A first-generation college student studying broadcast journalism.

I feel it is important to know my personal life to better understand my professional choices. I am currently engaged to the love of my life. Joseph and I will be getting married in June of 2025. We also have a golden retriever named Gatsby. I have always been a very creative person. I grew up in musical theater and have always been drawn to life outside of the box. I like to be in control of the narrative. .

I am also super passionate about food insecurity. I have donated at least 1,500 nonperishable food and hygiene items to our school's food pantry. Being able to help other people has made me so much more aware of the blessings I have. I love volunteering when I have the opportunity.

I believe broadcast and digital journalism was the best choice I could have made when coming into college. I have always been drawn to writing and public speaking, and this concentration allows me to do both. When I started out in this major, I was very sure of what I wanted to do after college. I was set on being a reporter and truly thought it was the perfect career choice for me. Over the past year my career aspirations have changed but my love for my studies has stayed the same.

What I could not have expected was finding a different passion through broadcast journalism. This past year, I discovered my love for videography. This semester I started my own videography business called “Newlywed with Natalie”. I have started doing videography for weddings, but I have also had a lot of interests from businesses for commercials and advertising. I hope to make this my long term career.

I believe I am so drawn to videography because I am a natural storyteller. Everything I have loved in life that has led me to where I am today has required me to tell the story of myself or of others. Videography allows me to be creative and tell other peoples stories. I used to think I wanted to be in front of the camera for my career. I wanted to be a reporter and tell people's stories that way. Now I want to be behind the camera. Being a freelance videographer will also give me a sense of freedom. It is a career that will be challenging to build, but I am excited about the sense of control it has equipped me with.

Starting my business has been a challenging endeavor. Between being a full-time student, working a part time job as a waitress, planning a wedding, and starting my business I have definitely had to learn what to prioritize and when to prioritize it. This semester has definitely been the hardest for me when it comes to balancing my professional and personal life.

Broadcast Journalism is a very interesting major. It truly lets me tap into my creative side. One part of my studies that I have truly enjoyed in the projects we do. I love that my major is very hands-on/project heavy. Being able to go into the community and go to different school events has allowed me to meet and tell the story of so many interesting people. I interned at WCBI and had an experience that I will never forget. I was completing a story about the West Point Animal Shelter and the Owner of the Shelter was so overwhelmed when talking to me. I was able to calm her down and get the information we needed for the story. I proved to myself that I was able to handle complex situations and get the story across to the public.

I am mainly excited for the group work within this class. So far within broadcast journalism there have not been many group projects, so I am excited for the group collaboration in this class. I am also excited to utilize the class website. I am not great with coding or website creation so I am excited to further my skills there.

Journalism is such a wonderful industry. I have learned so much about myself and the world around me through my studies here at Mississippi State. I am excited to continue my education and step into my professional career following graduation this May.

Email me at nkr66@msstate.edu with any questions