In less than a week and a couple days I’ll be accepting my diploma from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Looking back on the last two years as an ‘official Gator’ I am thankful for the memories made with new friends and great experiences. I’m sad to leave UF but I am so thankful for the memories made these last two years that I can leave knowing I got the full UF J-School experience!
When I first came to UF I was a traffic reporter for Country 103.7FM “The Gator.” 
Interning with UF’s country radio station was a dream come true. In fact, before coming to Gainesville it was my goal to work with “The Gator.”
Then I interned at the Gainesville Television Network. My basic duties were to ride with GTN’s dayside reporters and basically be their right hand ‘man.’ I learned so much from each one of the reporters because they all had a different style of getting the story done each day. I think the most important experience I got to learn first hand was getting to live a couple days a week of what life would be like if I were a full time reporter. AND MAN… reporting is hard work!
From GTN to Nashville! I moved to Nashville last May to intern at CMT and I lived with the mother of the Sawyer Brown Band‘s Mark Miller. I called her Nanny. I love her so much and I still stay in contact with her regularly. She calls me one of her grandkids and always asks me to come visit her in Nashville. I wish I could see her more but school has been very demanding this last semester.
Nashville back to Gaines-Vegas to finish my senior year! Well… I really didn’t want to come back (to be honest) but I knew I needed to finish my degree at UF! And thank God I did! This last year as a UF senior has been incredible! This January our college got a new Dean, Diane H. McFarlin. She is so sweet and I have really enjoyed learning from her this semester. Also this semester I anchored entertainment news for WUFT-TV! It was so fun!
I strongly believe our J-Shcool is the best in the world! I’m not just saying that because I’m a Gator but I really think our college is THE BEST education out there! I mean this year I worked as a reporter and anchor for a cable news program! Who can say they graduated from college in the same year had a solid year working in a newsroom!?
All in all, these last two years have been about the experiences and the relationships made. Coming back to Gainesville from Nashville my goal was to make my first on camera demo reel. That dream came true thanks to the experiences I received at UF. Signing off… and finishing the race… I’m Ricki Albritton an Alumni of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
Race to Graduate 