This year during convocation the College of Fine Arts and Communications will also highlight Daniel Andersen, a communications student who is graduating this week.
This year during convocation the College of Fine Arts and Communications will also highlight Daniel Andersen, a communications student who is graduating this week. He said he decided to be a journalist to help people with disabilities feel heard and share their stories.
“[I feel inspired by] stories and the people who tell them" Daniel said. "It's how we connect, learn, and grow. But I'm also inspired by the stories people don't tell. The encounters I've had with the best of humanity are small, beautiful moments. And I'm inspired by the potential for people to build a world that's just a little better than it was before. It's what I hope to do and what I see people do every day.
Daniel mentioned that his journey of belonging at BYU was "long and sometimes lonely."
“For years I hid behind other people's stories and felt disconnected from the BYU community," he said. "As I'm sure plenty of BYU students have felt, anxiety got in the way of me connecting with my community, which made me feel like an outsider looking in. It wasn't until I started to step out of my comfort zone that I truly started connecting with people. By telling my story, and not just the stories of other people, I finally felt seen. And all of that growth happened when I found the School of Communications."
Read more of his experience in the link in bio.