Anna's blog

This semester has had lots of highs and lows, and I don't see much of a difference in some things, but I do understand that I have changed whether I see it or not. Spring was technically my first semester on campus because in the fall I had the opportunity to travel abroad in Ireland for 7 weeks. As a freshman, I definitely can see where my experience was different than most, but I think this was a good thing. The most formative project has been creating a business idea. I think this took a lot of direction and formatting compared to other more creative thinking projects. I think I will also remember my business idea for years because it relates to advocacy law, which is what I intend to pursue. I see myself as an entrepreneur in a different way. I see myself solving problems for a greater good, but not for an idea to sell on the market. I would recommend students do their coursework the night before to be successful. I think this course is a great way to learn time management s...

The opportunity for my product/idea is needed, and has been for a long time. In 2019, there was an attempt to count all the residents of California who were homeless. This number was 151,278 individuals, with this making up nearly a quarter of the US homeless population. The upward drive of prices in California is a strong force and connects this problem centrally to Los Angeles. My idea is a little different than most people in this class because customers satisfying their needs of living should be a basic right. My customers don’t have the luxury of satisfying their needs because as of now there haven't been many ideas that have successfully reduced numbers for the homeless. This opportunity is huge, the statistics should tell you that. Anyone who disagrees in California may come as a threat, but truthfully the support behind this idea as well as the need for it is too big to overlook. The window of opportunity isn’t going to close until homeless people start getting off the stre...

I intend to keep this business as a motivator, and hopefully be able to take it and pursue something close to it when I start my career. The California housing crisis unfortunately isn't one of California's top priorities at the moment, and until someone has an idea to completely be effective, I don't think major change will happen. I believe that people will have similar ideas as me as well as try to fix the problem, but this isn't really about competition or money for me, and I hope it isn't for people who come up with these solutions. I don't know exactly what I will do for a career, but I want to go into advocacy law, and I think the California housing crisis is definitely something related to this. I feel like the idea I proposed can definitely be implemented in the next fix years, but I am not sure that will happen. It takes a lot fo people and pressure to change, and I would hope this problem wouldn't be an occurrence by 2030. I guess my product is a ...

I chose the book about Elon Musk because I felt like this was almost outside my interests and if it wasn't for this class I wouldn't read it so I figured it might be interesting. The thing that surprises me the most about Elon Musk and this book was that he didn't grow up rich or even have "successes" in his childhood. He faced hardships and this is very admirable considering what he has become today. It was surprising to me that he grew through that. I had always assumed he came from money. I think it was confusing to hear that he was a little bit braggish or narcisistic towards some people which was not admirable, but I do think overall his character was true and good through the article. I loved how Musk had the go getter attitude. I would hope to say I have a similar mindset, to where when I see a problem or issue in the world, I am not afraid to face it and try to come up with solutions for a better future. This competency was very inspiring to read, and ...

This semester I had the opportunity to work as a General News Assignment Writer at the Independent Florida Alligator. I plan on continuing my time there, as I have learned a lot, and failed too. I am a freshman journalism major, and coming into UF I thought I already knew a lot about how to report and write. I was completely wrong, and I have made many mistakes since I joined, as well as learned a lot. I think my biggest mistake was not getting the correct information on someone I wrote a story on, and I realized when my editor asked. I hadn't gotten another form of contact because it was a quick conversation, all I had was a first name and a number he wouldn't answer. I had done all the reporting but it didn't matter because by the time I got the information needed on the person, my story was scrapped due to timeliness. I definitely was embarrassed because I knew that was an obvious journalism mistake. I was also upset because I had spent so much time on the story and it d...

The next step is to implement lots that have cheaper housing so that people with lower incomes still have places to live. I didn't necessarily get a chance to talk to homeless people in California, but I did talk to people like real estate as well as people who have studied the topic in the area. The general next steps to make the product possible would be to talk to the governing body in California, and set up where these places would go. Also to contact any non-profit organizations that could help. In a different market, these places could be used as immigration centers as well. We shouldn't be holding people under terrible conditions and if this could be a way for people to get the things they need and be checked than it may work. This topic is very controversial, but making shelters like this could be a huge help if it was done the right way. At the moment there are places like this, but they don't neccesarily serve the right purpose or treat people well. I think from ...

The opportunity for my product/idea is very clear. In 2019, there was an attempt to count all the residents of California who were homeless. This number was 151,278 individuals, with this making up nearly a quarter of the US homeless population. The upward drive of prices in California is a strong force and connects this problem centrally to Los Angeles. My idea is a little different than most in this class because customers satisfying their needs of living should be a basic right. My customers don’t have the luxury of satisfying their needs because as of now there haven't been many ideas that have successfully reduced numbers for the homeless. This opportunity is huge, the statistics should tell you that. Anyone who disagrees in California may come as a threat, but truthfully the support behind this idea as well as the need for it is too big to overlook. The window of opportunity isn’t going to close until homeless people start getting off the streets and back into lives. There is...

The ten resources believe are most important are; Financial resources, Social Capital, outreach capability, appeal to human rights, connection to non-profit, organizational culture, media outreach, Location, Government relationship, and support capability. The financial resources may be a little tight but the government and NGO's will help support the idea. This product/ idea isn't something that they will just let happen without their permission, and if they denied it they would receive a lot of negative heat. Social capital points to the network of people who have been/ still are trying to help this issue, in all different fields. The relationships and support from others is very high and if a lot of people support your cause (when your cause is for a greater good as well), it is very easy to network. The outreach capability is important like the networking, and like I said since so many people care about the homeless, this will spread far. Every non-profit in California h...

https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCuctrHd0VYW4bwCPZd9qkAQ/videos/upload?d=ud&filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D I did not get comments on my last elevator pitch so I don't know what I can go off for for that question. I think I changed how I approached the camera as well as how I talked and confidence levels. I tried to make more eye contact and speak with a better and more clear voice.

I chose the book The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki. I thought this book was interesting because it was about how you can use social media to enhance your business as well as creating social media as a business itself. The book definitely enhanced what I have been learning in this class because it connected directly to the main ideas of how to become a better entrepreneur through social media. Sights like LinkedIn, Facebook, blogging and even instagram can play a huge role in the success of a company and the book was able to show how this can really push a product to be successful. Being able to connect ideas like online presence and social capital was also unique. If I could create an assignment for this class on this book, I think it could be interesting to create a social media plan for their product. BY making a presence online, your product can reach further boundaries as well as become much more successful. I think it could be cool to brand th...

1. The three people I chose were: - Professor at UF - One of the organizations trying to solve problem currently - Realtor friend in California 2. The professor at UF teaches about social issues and politics, and he is the domain expert because he has researched a lot about the housing crisis in California. The Organization has been working on models similar to mine but hasn't carried any of them out and primarily helps homeless in civil actions, so they know the area as well as the customer. The realtor obviously knows the land and how to make a sell to those who may need to move things around. 3. I found each through a previous contact online and contacted through email and phone. 4. There is no return expectation. I find a lot of times when I am interviewing people for the Florida Alligator, if you are a student who is trying to make a difference or working on something that benefits others, most the time people are more than happy to help and don't expect anything in...

I am freshman journalism major at UF. I am very motivated and hard working, and I am determined to succeed in what I do. I have always wanted to become a travel journalist, however, once I got into college, I realized that I wanted to do something more. Journalist are only ever to tell the truth through writing, but then have to sit back and watch without giving their opinion or fighting for the cause. I want to be the next step. Hopefully through advocacy law, I can do this, and my business concept is just the start of all of this. Through advocacy law, I hope to fight for social issues and issues that often go unseen. The California housing crisis is too often ignored, and by creating a possible solution and raising awareness I am able to start this journey. I am proposing an efficient way to help homeless people get off the streets and start normal lives, in addition to having more affordable housing for the people who can't afford the housing right now. BY having houses that a...

https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCuctrHd0VYW4bwCPZd9qkAQ/videos/upload?d=ud&filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D One of the changes I made to my elevator pitch was changing how I addressed the audience. I knew in my last pitch that I worded things well at the start but changing the way I interpreted the problem was helpful in my opinion.

My customer avatar could be a wide range of people, but if I had to be specific about who my customer was, this is what I'd imagine they would be. My customer doesn't have to be in a specific age range, but probably someone who is over 30 and is working multiple jobs. I would imagine they are hard working and try to save as much money as they can, so if this means using a bike to get to work or not having a car, they would do it. My customer avatar may have a family, probably with a few kids, but my customer avatar would probably not have a significant other or else they would be better off financially. I think my customer avatar also in her free time would be cooking and cleaning and doing things they have to get done because they wouldn't be able to afford a lot of free time. I would think that my customer is a democrat,, considering most people who live in California are and also anyone who is struggling to afford the housing there would support democrats trying to give ...

I believe that five traits I posses that make me unique are compassion, drive, hard working, confident, and passionate. I am hard working and driven in almost everything I do, but most people posses these qualities. I feel like having compassion for things makes a world of a difference, and being passionate about making a change is also very important. You can be driven and hard working, but if you don't acre about what you're doing then it doesn't matter. I also feel like having confidence in your ability to succeed is important as well. When I asked others what they thought of me, I got persistent, non-stop, intense, energetic and passionate. I agree somewhat with these comparisons and it was interesting to see what they thought of me.

In my interviews, I was able to see what would make the Product/idea better and more likely to sell. I told each person basic background information on the housing crisis in California. Two out of three said they agreed a housing and rehabilitation center would be good to combine for those in need, but the third said it would be better to just make more affordable housing lots. The two that said combining a rehabilitation center and housing would be a good idea because this could be a productive way to get the homeless off the street and possibly get a job and life again. The other person I interviewed said it was a better idea to push for affordable housing because this is a larger group of people who may become homeless and need to move somewhere before they loose their house. Price and quality doesn't neccesarily apply to my solutions, however, the outlook on these being successful was a big component. Obviously putting time and money into these solutions takes a lot, and the s...

1. Some of the behaviors I have used to keep up with this course come from time management. I have always been able to manage my time fairly well, because as a reporter, you have to be on the job almost 24/7. Since this class is online, it has taught me to manage an hour or two when needed to complete assignments. 2. I have never felt like much of an entrepreneur, and as this class does not require too much work ethic, it still requires time. There were times when I felt like giving up on an assignment, or even in other aspects like working for the Alligator and taking 17 credits. However, there will always be bad days, and this course has taught me that successful entrepreneurs and even just inspirational people don't give up when it gets hard, they keep going and manage to make themselves even better. I feel like my experience with this being my second semester as a student in college and taking on a little too much is definitely teaching me a lot, but it is also preparing me t...

Coco Chanel isn't just known for her fashion, she also inspires girls all over the world to be their true self and uplift those around the, From her words of wisdom to her non-stop attitude, Coco Chanel is someone we all can admire. What surprised me the most was probably the wide variety of things she did in fashion. She was unique because she based the fashion around her life and what had happened in it as well as how she felt about things. She also made pants for women, which at the time was huge. What I most admired about Coco Chanel was her attitude. She stood up for what she believed in and she did not back down. Her fashion was different at the time being, and some may not have approved. However, she didn't stop, and made a name to herself in a positive way. She didn't coerce to societal expectations either, which was very admirable as well. I didn't like how Chanel didn't get out more to speak about the hardships girls and women experienced at the time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFl3mOlGAPc

Segment: Out of state students from California/anyone who had relations to California When conducting interviews, I had multiple successes and failures. I learned that most people knew about the California housing crisis, but didn't know if the solution I presented was adequate because of previous failed attempts. Some people thought it was amazing while others felt like there was no hope for a solution at this point. Among interviewing my third candidate, I interviewed another person because I felt like the person did not match the audience I was going for. The unmet need wasn't neccesarily there for people but the fact that they had experienced what homelessness does to people in California was a huge factor in talking about my plans.

1. I am a first year journalism major on a pre-law track at UF. I love to write, as I work for the Florida Alligator as well as Her Campus magazine as news writers. I want to make a difference in the world, whether this is through journalism or law, I hope to do something for the good of others. I aspire to be an advocacy lawyer, who fights for right of women in not only the U.S. but international as well. I love learning about people as well as pushing to make an impact where I go. This goes along with my business idea, of having affordable living and rehabilitation for those in California who are on the verge of being homeless or who already are. I know this idea will play into what I want to do with my career, possibly switching my interests over to fighting for those who are homeless. 2. The product won't flatter everyone, and honestly it's targeted at only a certain group of people. However, California knows it has to do something about its homeless population before it s...

Who: My target audience is those who are homeless, those who care about the housing crisis in California (and general US), and those who are affected by homelessness in one way or another. After doing more interviews, I discovered that a lot of people have no hope. No one wants to believe the situation will get better because it has gotten so bad. When I mentioned more housing and rehabilitation, the people I interviewed thought it was great but asked where the funding would come from. In this sense they are right, and the government would need to fund this which would take a lot. However, coming up with a better idea was easier after speaking to these people, because it gave me a more realistic and financial approach. My target audience is large and hard to place on a select few, because this is such a huge issue, I think a majority of people in California and even the US do know and care about the homeless. What: The need for affordable housing is everywhere in California. I think ...

1. I chose the housing crisis in California as my problem: Basically, all of the lower- and middle- class citizens of California are becoming homeless or moving out because the rent their is so crazy expensive. People can't afford rent or food or really basic human needs, and as more of the rich come in to live, it only makes the problem worse.I used to lie in California, and when we sold our house, my dad said it sold for almost twice as much as we bought it for. This was great for us, but for the teachers, police officers, city workers and more who need somewhere to live, they can't afford to buy that kind of house which causes for a market and societal problem. 2. Product/service: There is no product besides houses that could fix this problem. However, if California took parts of land where there was housing already built, and decreased the rent in these specific areas in each county, it would allow those with lower incomes to be able to live there. This would take work...

1. The opportunity I would like to pursue is the housing crisis in California. There are so many people who are affected by this and it has yet to get better of the past years. 2. The houses in California are too expensive for lower and middle-class incomes to afford, kicking out a huge population of people to make room for the elite rich. Who: Lower and middle-class income in California What: are becoming homeless because they can't afford housing why: The elite rich continue to come in and the population keeps growing, and there isn't enough space for housing for everyone. 3. Testing the who: There are people around the US that are homeless, but California has it bad right now. Everyone in California whether they are homeless or not feel the effects of so many people who don't have homes. Testing what: The government planning will be a challenge, asking people to donate will be a challenge, finding the space to add homes will be a challenge. Testing the why: A misc...

Economic 1. There’s a 70% chance of recession in the next six months, new study from MIT and State Street finds https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/70percent-chance-of-recession-in-next-six-months-study-from-mit-and-state-street-finds.html I found this opportunity in CNBC. A stock market crash would create huge problems for the lives of everyday citizens, and create massive damage to what we currently have. The article talks about how scientists came to this conclusion, and although the prediction is 100% accurate, it still is causing worry. I think the customer with the opportunity would be anyone who the stock market crash hits the hardest. The opportunity will be relatively difficult to exploit, however, if a solution were too arise for this, it would save millions. I noticed this opportunity when looking for economic news and knew the market affects everyone, and with something like a recession, there is always a problem. 2. California, Mired in a Housing Crisis, Rejects an Effo...

1. Students Protest Supreme Court Justice St Clarence Thomas arrival https://www.alligator.org/news/students-protest-supreme-court-justice-clarence-thomas-arrival/article_95298b0e-42c9-11ea-b249-9b476a11e71d.html Students are not happy about the arrival of St Clarence Thomas, who sexually harassed Anita Hill years ago. They don't think he should be able to teach at UF Law and don't care that he is a supreme court justice. The problem: Students being upset that St Clarence Thomas is teaching at UF law Who has the problem: Students at UF and UF law, UF law administration, supporters of Anita Hill. 2. Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law https://www.alligator.org/news/local-vape-shops-lose-profits-due-to-recent-tobacco-law/article_6033000a-42d4-11ea-bd9f-4f3ed2b963e4.html Vape shops are in a tight situation because the law raised the age to vape. Since the majority of their customers were now underage college students, the shops aren't sure what ...

1. After reviewing my last assignments, I think there is an opportunity in the cleaning department. 2. Everyone hates dirty bathrooms. Especially when you have to use them consistently. When the bathrooms are not clean in dorms, it decreases the likelihood of anyone using them, which in turn is a cause for unhealthy students. The bathrooms are cleaned pretty regularly, but if there was a machine (like the rumba for floors) that could easily clean parts of the bathroom promptly, this would help not only the people who have to clean it but also everyone using it. 3. The prototypical customer would be another student who uses the bathrooms in the dorms. 4. Sabrina (two dorms down from mine) What is the nature of the need? Definitely not being able to shower when I want to because it's disgusting. It's a sanitary need, but I guess in a sense it is an inconvenience. How long have you had this need? I first recognized that the showers were getting gross last semester, but lately...

Since Sophomore year, I have wanted to pursue a career in journalism. Yes, dreams change, but for me, this has almost always been set in stone. Senior year of high school I was able to run a state journalism convention through the Florida Scholastic Press Association as the State Chairwoman and served as the Editor in Chief of my high school yearbook. Through both these opportunities, I gained ample experience, yet the one that has taught me the most has been one I never expected to occur and continues to inspire me. Halfway through my senior year of high school, a junior from another part of Florida contacted me saying she had seen me at the Florida Scholastic Press Association convention and was planning on making her own magazine. Her idea was to create a magazine for those to speak their mind outside of social norms and talk about important issues that aren't always highlighted in mainstream media. As much as I loved the idea, I knew having a student-run publication would be ex...

I did not face many challenges when making this bug list, because I think I am picky about a lot. It was hard at some points, but there is a lot that bugs me throughout the day, and thinking about it made me realize how I can fix some of these things and make sure they don't continue to happen. There was 10 things I easily was very bugged by, and the other 10 I think I had to consider more, but still found myself not having too much difficulty over things that I found annoying/bugged at. Overall I think the assignment was productive way to see what I am doing and how I can help myself not be so annoyed, even if it's not all things I can control.

1. When people talk loudly in libraries, especially in the quiet section past midnight. We are all tired, and it's the quiet section for a reason, so turn off Tik-Tok and do your homework so we can all go get some sleep. 2. When people use the wrong forms of there, their, and they're in journalism or anywhere. That is one of the most simple grammar rules, and it's annoying to see it happen. 3. Random strands of hair in the communal showers in dorms, ESPECIALLY when they just cleaned the bathrooms. 4. Anyone with body odor in nice places. At the gym it's understandable but if you are dressed up at a dinner or something related it shouldn't be a problem. 5. Florida heat/humidity. When I straighten my hair and 10 minutes later it's back in curls, the hour I spent straightening is nothing thanks to the humid air. 6. When there's a fruit bowl and all the fruit touches, I don't want my strawberries to taste like kiwi. 7. When people are late consistently...

Excited to begin blogging :)