I HAVE been a sports reporter for nearly a decade (if you include my first few years as a part-timer) and working for Marianas Variety has been something that I, personally, never thought would turn into a career.
During my high school days, I was an avid basketball player. I even played on the same team as professional star Jericho Cruz for Marianas High School. We won the PSS interscholastic basketball championship as the underdogs. Starting off as an athlete to going behind the action as a sports reporter — this was the perfect job for me.
I’m more than happy that Marianas Variety took me under their wings and taught me how to become a sports reporter and after nearly 10 years, I only wish to continue doing what I love — and that is sharing sports stories with the community.
Going into my fifth year as a sports reporter, the experience I went through made me realize how valuable this career is.
Not just for me personally, but how it affects the community and readers who are also fans of sports. The feeling of a random person coming up to me or reaching out through social media to thank me for a story I wrote about them — the praises and feelings that you do not normally get in any other job.
An athlete once told me, “When you look at the front of the newspaper, the first thing you see is the bad news. But once you flip to the back page, all you see is success and triumph.” That stuck to me.
And since then, I always look at the stories I write as a way to keep the readers and community happy when they read Marianas Variety.
Aside from becoming a sports reporter, just being a part of Marianas Variety has always been special.
<p class=”p1″><em>An athlete once told me, “When you look at the front of the newspaper, the first thing you see is the bad news. But once you flip to the back page, all you see is success and triumph.” That stuck to me.</em>
Working with Laila Boyer and the late Abed Younis, and the rest of the team, I always felt welcomed, and the effort that management put in to keep each employee feel included is one of the many reasons why I still work for the company.
What I look forward to the most each year are the quarterly sports activities. To be able to play a variety of sports such as basketball, bowling, volleyball, relays and golf — it is the time when everyone gets together to showcase their skills as well as get along and socialize.
Marianas Variety has also supported their employees when it comes to joining sporting events. Led by another reporter, Bryan Manabat, we created a basketball team and won a championship in the 2018 Civic Center basketball league. In the following year, we placed third in another local basketball league.
Another great memory to share are our annual Christmas parties. Now this is not your regular party as it has become extremely competitive with every department vying for the first-place spot in the talent contest.
The editorial team has always been a top contender for the title. From Disney to rock-and-roll themed parties, these will always be a memorable part of Marianas Variety.
Unfortunately, due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, the 2021 Christmas party was canceled. Oh, well. There’s always next year.
Overall, Marianas Variety is the best company that I have worked for and being a sports reporter only solidifies my reason for my years of service.
They said that you should love what you do, and being a sports reporter for the local newspaper, specifically Marianas Variety, is something that I love doing, and I don’t plan on changing careers any time soon.
