Author bio:
Kimber Draughon is a video and news reporter for Mustang Media Group. When they are not editing or writing, they are probably daydreaming about their fantasy worlds.
Two majors in three years is a recipe for chaotic time management, constant anxiety and undercut priorities. Despite fears of burnout, I managed to put on my chef’s hat.
My degrees were the baseline of the meal, more important than secondary components like hiking, creative writing or social events. Mustang News started out as an optional ingredient – the spice that I would add in if I found the time. For my first two years at Cal Poly, I was so busy scrambling for the basic ingredients that sprinkling MMG on top felt impossible.
My commitment changed the moment I tapped into my passion for videography. Suddenly, the spice was not just added flavor. It was an integral part of the recipe.
Don’t get me wrong, I was busier than I had ever been. My senior year with Mustang News has been filled with video stories, breaking news shifts, STEM entrepreneurship articles and a senior project centered on gender-affirming care. Managing those responsibilities alongside my courseload, work, leadership positions and basic functioning had me questioning whether I should send my half-done recipe straight down the drain.
Better yet, MMG was not just one spice to top off the dish. Each new skill I learned or project I worked on introduced a new flavor. Video editing, interviews, meeting strangers and covering comedy festivals and live music filled a space I had not realized needed filling. Gone was the bland, boring, basic meal I had been dully piecing together, replaced with a culinary masterpiece of fantastic flavor.
Now, as I am almost ready to taste the completed recipe I’ve taken so long to put together, I see how integral each ingredient was. From my music history classes to interviewing music artists as a part of Mustang News, college would not have been complete without every single ingredient.