The start of 2024 is also the start of a new semester at the University of Central Florida, which means a few new faces around Watermark’s Orlando office thanks to our participation in UCF’s Journalism Intern Pursuit program.
We thought it would be a good idea to introduce our readers to these eager journalism students by having them write a profile on each other. Below we get to know 2024 spring intern Connor Barry.
Imposter syndrome is a feeling many are familiar with, especially Connor Barry, UCF student and Watermark intern for the 2024 spring semester.
However, that anxious feeling disappeared when Barry freelanced for Watermark last year. Everything changed when he saw his story and picture in print. He described the feeling as surreal.
“Seeing it in the paper was super validating because it felt like confirmation, like concrete, physical confirmation of I am where I’m supposed to be,” Barry says.
For Barry, this is his first journalism internship, and it was his top pick when he was looking for internships for the spring semester. He was really excited to hear that he landed the role at Watermark.
“One reason that I was hoping for Watermark is because LGBTQ news is super important to me,” says Barry. “Diving into that community and being able to share stuff that’s relevant to that community is important to me.”
Barry feels it’s important to share LGBTQ+ news because historically LGBTQ+ people have been silenced. He says it’s his role as a journalist to give a voice to the voiceless.
“There’s a lot of things that straight people might not consider or might not think is important enough to share,” Barry says.
Barry’s love for photography ultimately got him into journalism. He learned how photography can be impactful and even change people. This allowed him to change his focus to photojournalism.
“I love taking pictures, just being able to document a moment,” Barry says.
Barry will often photograph on the UCF campus as a stress reliever. He does this so he can detach from the world, especially since the journalism field can be overwhelming.
“I go to campus, turn my phone off and walk around the Arboretum with my camera and just take pictures of the plants or butterflies cause it’s just super calm and peaceful out there,” says Barry.
Barry hopes this internship will help him gain confidence in himself and his abilities. He knows photography will always keep him interested in the field of journalism even if he gets anxious.
“I’ve been a shy person most of my life and I get a lot of anxiety when it comes to just talking to people, but reminding myself of the parts that I really love motivates me to keep continuing,” Barry says.
