Jessica Gutschow
March 11, 2020
My father has always been my number one role model. As a little girl, him and I did everything together. He was the one who taught me how to read and write, and sent out copies of my home-made story books to my family members who lived far away. When we went on family walks, he’d stop to point out muskrat tracks in the mud and what natural grasses grew along our walking-path. His stories kept me captivated, motivated, and flourished my interest in becoming an informed communicator.
In middle school, my father was the one who counseled me through some of the hardest experiences of my life. Whenever I was troubled, he knew. Whenever I needed to talk about things but couldn’t find the words, he knew. My father was the first person I learned to trust, and he taught me that it was okay to communicate my feelings, no matter how difficult they were to explain.
My father was raised on a dairy farm where money was tight and respect for the arts was frowned upon. Despite his parent’s criticism, he pursued his degree in journalism as a communicator, something he always wanted to be. When I was exploring my own passions, he encouraged me to write. Even if what I had to say wasn’t something my parents expected, he supported me. One of the most celebrated traits a journalist can have is the guts to go against the status-quo. At a young age, my father said to me, “many writers think every story has already been told, but no one has heard it from your perspective.”
Everyday I strive to be as courageous as my father. He has never been afraid to communicate his feelings, and whenever something challenged his beliefs, he took it on. If someone proved him wrong, he was humble enough to accept the truth. Despite being one of the best communicators I’ve ever known, he was willing to take criticism and learn from the people around him. He taught me the value of hard work and dedication in pursuit of the truth. He taught me to be curious and to learn as much about the world around me as I possibly could.
As I pursue my own journey as a writer/ communicator, I reach out to my father for his feedback and criticism. I call him almost everyday to discuss the trials of my life and he always has the clarity I need. He has always taken pride in the way he views the world, and I try to learn from him everyday. He’s never made me feel insecure about my writing, and when I have a controversial thought, he challenges me in a way that forces me to solidify what I believe. My father is the bravest communicator I know and he’s taught me the importance of forming original thoughts.
During my time in the Journalism School, I hope to make him proud and when he challenges me, I strive to do better. My father is the greatest communicator I’ve ever known and I hope I can one day become as bold as he is.
The Greenhorn 