Diana Murray Watts - Spring 2009

Click on photo to enlarge or download: Diana Murray WattsThe world is a beautiful place. Despite the downfalls that come along with a life in the human species - poverty, wars and pollution - I try to wake up every morning feeling grateful for the opportunity of starting another day full of new experiences. I think of every day as a treasure box I will come to open: perhaps to find joy or sadness, blessings or troubles, but where I will also find new directions in which to learn and grow. Every experience is unique, and I find joy and inspiration in writing down in both my notebook and my mind the wondrous stories that thrive in this complex world.

Born Mexican and of both Irish and English heritage, I like to think of myself as a citizen of the world than rather just belonging to one sole country. I was fortunate enough to receive a bilingual education in Spanish and English since I was very young, and thus that education has allowed me to engage in the works of many authors that have come to inspire me over my life. Journalism became present in my life since I was about 5 years old, when I pretended to be the host and manager of a radio station that had a daily news program. It must have been pretty odd to have a child at that age spending her playtime in an imaginary newsroom instead of in a dollhouse, but indeed that pastime, along with the afternoons I dedicated to reading, played an important role in defining my path toward a bachelor's degree in journalism, which I completed in December 2008 at Tec de Monterrey in the city of Monterrey, Mexico.

Since my freshman year in college, I worked as editor for the student magazine Mientras Tanto and became the reporter for my campus's Culture Department. Soon thereafter I joined the Alliance Française of Monterrey, where I worked closely over three years with its cultural director, helping mostly with translations, press releases and conferences. One of my most treasured experiences happened at Georgetown University, the intellectual haven where I was sent to study during the summer of 2006 and the spring of 2007. The city of Washington instantly captivated my soul with its diverse population, coming from almost every country and thus providing for the District a colorful palette of cultures. I became fascinated with its structure and intricacies, and ever since have strived to keep learning more about it, alongside Latin American journalism and that present in the rest of the world.

I wish to thank the Scripps Howard Foundation and the International Center for Journalists for giving me this new treasure box: the opportunity to deepen my understanding of the American media and better comprehend how various different cultures interact and strive to fathom our dwelling in this earth.

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