I studied journalism at Binghamton University, even interning for

The American journalist, lawyer, and television host Sunny Hostin once shared a glimpse of her journey with these words: “I studied journalism at Binghamton University, even interning for NBC's longtime anchor Carol Jenkins. Before graduation, I told my parents I wanted to pursue broadcast journalism.” At first, this may sound like a simple recollection of career beginnings — yet beneath its surface lies a story of courage, clarity, and conviction. For it is the tale of a young woman standing at the threshold between expectation and destiny, between what was safe and what was true to her spirit. Her words carry the rhythm of countless seekers who, at the brink of adulthood, must answer life’s greatest question: What do I truly wish to become?

To study journalism is to study truth itself — to learn how to see the world not through comfort, but through clarity. For Hostin, those early years at Binghamton University were more than the pursuit of a degree; they were the forging of a purpose. It was there that she began to shape her voice — one that would later become a beacon for justice and integrity. When she says she “interned for NBC’s longtime anchor Carol Jenkins,” she speaks of apprenticeship in the truest sense — not merely learning skills, but inheriting a legacy. Carol Jenkins, a trailblazer for women and for Black journalists, embodied resilience and grace in a world that often denied both. Working under her, Sunny was not just interning; she was absorbing the courage to speak with truth in times when silence seemed easier.

Yet the most profound moment in her quote is the confession: “Before graduation, I told my parents I wanted to pursue broadcast journalism.” It is here that the young scholar transforms into the brave soul. For every generation, there comes a moment when the heart’s calling must be declared — not only to the world, but to one’s own family. Such moments are rarely without fear. Parents dream of safety for their children, while children dream of purpose. In that tender space between love and ambition, truth must rise. Hostin’s decision to follow her calling, even before her life’s path was fully secure, is the mark of one who dares to trust destiny over comfort.

History echoes with the stories of others who made similar leaps. Consider Maya Angelou, who as a young woman wandered through various jobs — waitress, dancer, poet — before finding her immortal voice through writing and activism. Like Hostin, she was guided by conviction, not certainty. Or think of Walter Cronkite, who, as a young reporter, turned away from safer professions to chase the uncertain world of storytelling. Such choices are never small. They demand faith — not blind faith in circumstance, but sacred faith in one’s own potential.

Sunny Hostin’s story also reveals the power of preparation before purpose. She did not rush blindly toward her dream. She studied, she learned, she apprenticed, she built her foundation. Too often the young mistake passion for readiness, but the wise understand that dreams are sustained by discipline. Her time in academia and her internship were not detours, but the roots that would allow her voice to grow strong. Just as an oak must deepen its roots before it dares to face the wind, so too must one ground themselves in knowledge before standing before the world.

The lesson, therefore, is clear: courage must walk hand in hand with preparation. If you feel a calling within your heart, do not silence it — but also do not rush to shout it before you are ready. Learn, train, and serve. Find mentors who awaken the greatness within you. And when the time comes — when your spirit is strong and your purpose is clear — speak your truth boldly, as Sunny Hostin did to her parents that day. For it is in that moment of honest declaration that a destiny begins to take shape.

And so, let her words echo through the hearts of all who stand upon the threshold of becoming: “I studied journalism… Before graduation, I told my parents I wanted to pursue broadcast journalism.” It is not merely a sentence about career choice; it is the story of self-realization. It teaches that one’s path may begin in the classroom, but it is fulfilled only when one dares to claim it aloud. The ancients would have called this moment the awakening of vocation — when knowledge and courage unite. Follow that union faithfully, and your life will not merely be a career, but a calling — one that leaves behind a light for others to follow.