Graduation gratitude

Dearest and nearest Almanac fambam,

My sincere apologies for I know I am little late but I finally sat down and found the time to bash out this little piece of good news and thanks.

On the 21st of May I officially graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. Many of you have been my audience on this bumpy ride from the very beginning when I first joined this wonderful Almanac family. Let’s rewind shall we?

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In 2009 I was in year eleven at Mercy College. At this point in my life I knew three things for certain:

  1. I loved footy
  2. I loved writing
  3. And to the dismay of many family members I wasn’t going to be a Lawyer, Doctor or Accountant

When going to back my homeroom class to collect my accounting textbooks I would sometimes run into Almanac veteran Andrew Starkie who taught an English class in my homeroom. I was very good friends with my own English teacher Miss Amy Somers and confided in her with my writing aspirations. She was ridiculously supportive when many people weren’t and arranged for me to have a chat with Andrew about getting involved with the Footy Almanac, and so it began.

Not going to lie…I was fooking scared. Just sending my work out there to people I’ve never met. What if it sucked? What if I failed miserably? Slowly I sent in my pieces, with constant support from Andrew and Amy I continued to write and you wonderful people began to respond! Suddenly I wasn’t alone, there were other young kids who were writing too! Josh, Michael, Steve, Damo, Adam and dear Maria/Susie, and with that the Almanac had moved up into the next generation. I know you don’t hear as much from that crew anymore but trust me when I say we all come back to our Almanac family in good times.

So firstly to Amy and Andrew, two excellent and supportive educators who became friends in helping me find the courage to stand up for what I wanted to do. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you. It took me some time but I remembered you both when I dug my heels in a year and a half into a Psychology degree I had no passion for and applied for a transfer into Journalism. Thank you for your guidance, I’ll never forget it.

To JTH, Daff, Gigs and Cookie- Thank you for welcoming me into the Footy Almanac when I was just a VCE student trying to figure out how to write. Thank you for the editing of my many pieces and most importantly thank you for never giving me limits on how or what I write. Thanks for letting me be me and Gigs I know that I’m still and always will be your favourite haha!

Now onto my favourite university lecturer, Dave Lowden. I would wake up early and attend every single Lowden lecture, not because I had to but because he taught so captivatingly. I always looked forward to his classes and as an educator he was nothing like the others I had come across in my other classes. A constant support to all his students, he was always looking to encourage us and give positive feedback, the best lecturer and tutor I had come across in my five years at La Trobe. Dave your belief in me and my writing helped me push through anything I found challenging. Thank you for your help while I was in the process of trying to transfer into Journalism. Thanks for supporting my love-affair with Alex Fasolo and letting me sneak into your classes and use a computer to complete one of my major assignments when I was no longer in your class. I will never EVER forget how scared I was after I terribly blubbered my way through the ‘live cross’ assignment and all you did was focus on the positives you somehow managed to find, or the way you talked me up to Brian Taylor! Haha La Trobe is lucky to have you!

Jon Ralph and Samantha Lane, thank you for being my inspirations and I hope to one day meet you both and pick your journalism brains.

Last but certainly not least I’d like to thank my Almanac family and my readers. Thank you for the comments and feedback you all leave on my pieces. It still to this day shocks me that people actually sit there and read a whole piece of something crazy I wrote. I know my style is a bit weird and not everyone would agree with it or anything I say but thanks for giving me that reward of knowing that you want to read whatever goes in my weird mind.

You all keep me sane and I love you all for your support.

Hope you stay for the rest of the ride,

Lots of love, Danni

 

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About Danielle Eid

Im 23, cute and most importantly im the Collingwood Football Club's very own PRINCESS!! :) A Latrobe Uni graduate from Bachelor of Journalism. Admirer of Samantha Lane and Jon Ralph. Not your typical 'Robot Journalist' Loves Alex Fasolo

Comments

  1. Cat from the Country says

    Congratulations Danielle.
    You were fortunate to have such supportive people around you.
    Good luck for whatever your future holds.
    I cannot share your love of the Pies however I am glad they have you as their Princess.

    A new chapter is opening for you. Have a wonderful life

  2. Peter Fuller says

    Congratulations, Danni and best wishes for your career. You write with real flair.
    I also am very impressed with the gracious tone of this reflection, your expressions of gratitude to the people who have given you a helping hand. That attitude will carry you a long way in any workplace, and in any occupation, and obviously of course in all aspects of your life..
    I always think that the time when you’re standing on the threshold of something new, new job, new relationship, new stage of life, is the best when it’s legitimate to dream. I urge you to dream big. Good luck.

  3. Absolutely best wishes for the future.

    I actually sent one of your earlier contributions to the Almanac to our son in Toronto to give him an example of a “kid” who could really write.

    Be interested to see where you go from here.

    Cheers,

    Peter S

  4. Congratulations Danni. Well done. Your challenge is now to be a good journalist.

  5. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Good luck Danni and good on you to take the time to pause,reflect and thank the people who have helped you to reach your goal all the best in the future

  6. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Congrats Danni and best of luck in the future. May your life be filled with LOL’s and ROFL’s among all the serious journalistic stuff. Go Pies!!

  7. Danni what can I say? Thank you. That was an incredibly thoughtful blog to write. I suspect the understandable euphoria of graduation has encouraged you to exaggerate my contribution, but tertiary education is a world of minimal feedback so I’ll take it!

    It is affirming for any teacher to know their approach is successful and maybe one teacher’s approach suits some students and not others. Mine suited you and so we can both rejoice in that. As Peter Fuller observed earlier, the person you are is going to carry you a long way towards your dream jobs — as Alex Fasolo’s official biographer and a journalist (in that order).

  8. Danielle says

    Cat from the Country: Thank you very much for your kind words! I’m happy to inform you that I have moved up in ranks from Princess to Duchess of Collingwood and that all is well in Magpie Palace :)

    Many Thanks Peter F :)
    I’ve always believed its important to remember anyone who has helped in making a person become something.

    WOW! I’m so glad and honoured that you did that Peter! I hope your son found my writing entertaining :) This has certainly made my day!

    Cheers Dips! Will do my best to make you proud.

    Many thanks Malcolm :D

    Oh Phil! Haha :P I know us youngins have challenged you veterans over the years with our lingo and its been freaking hilarious watching you try to decode it!

    hahaha Dave, you are the best! :D

  9. Congrats Danni, really pleased for you.

    More pleased in fact because you had the guts to do something I desperately wanted to do when I was about your age and didn’t (I have written about that on these pages before)

    I’ve heard Dave Lowden on SEN, sounds like a great mentor.

    Have loved your pieces on these pages.

    Congrats and a really nice and heartfelt piece to boot

    sean

  10. Danielle says

    Cheers Sean! :D
    Its good that we have The Footy Almanac to write for so we feel like its never to late to be a writer in our own ways.

    He really is! When i no longer had him for classes i would always be annoyed that id get to uni before his SEN segment on my drive there and miss it because id have to get to class. Really shows the best La Trobe has to offer.

    Im so happy to keep you reading, thanks very much! :)

  11. Danielle,
    My story is similar. I love sport and loved to write.
    I hated my job. I was 32.
    When I told people I was going back to uni to study journalism a few tried to talk me out of it.
    I lost a girlfriend who didn’t want me to do it even though I helped her through her degree.
    I did it anyway. Who cares what she said.
    The day after my graduation, I started a new job as a journalist.
    It’s the best job I’ve ever had.
    Congratulations.
    Work hard and excel.
    Cheers

  12. Luke Reynolds says

    Well done Danni! Things going well for you with your degree and A.Fasolo’s return to form. All the best with whatever you do next. Go Pies!

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