June has typically been hard and trying.
In June of 2012, Sienna had what should have been a two day stay at Primary Children's Medical Center to recover from a Ureter Re-implanting Surgery. But her bladder ruptured post surgery. She was terribly sick. Doctors couldn't figure out why. And after a broken-up nearly three week stay at the Children's Hospital, they diagnosed her with Pyelonephritis - (which means her kidneys were swollen, full of infection and not working properly.)
During that time, I was trying to coach my 2012 SkillsUSA Broadcasting Team and help them prepare for Nationals. I brought Sienna with me, to practices - catheter and all. Poor baby. I remember ending one practice early, driving straight to the hospital, where she was again admitted for another stay.
She was sick. And I was scared.
I missed my flight to Kansas City with all of the SkillsUSA competitors. I was holding my baby in the hospital. I flew out days later, after Sienna was home (for good this time). I made it to Kansas City just in time to give my four students a good luck pep talk before they competed behind closed doors.
They didn't place that year. And in the Post-Contest Meeting I wrote down everything the judges had to say. I didn't even have a notebook. (Great journalist, huh?!?!) I tell you, I wasn't 100% there. I had been sleeping on a hospital cot for 2 weeks, worrying my brains out.
I wrote down everything that a National Winning Team needed to know. And once I was back in Utah, I hid these notes in my sock drawer. I never said it out loud....maybe whispered it to my husband...but I was ready to take a team back to Kansas City...and this time, come home with a different outcome.
In March 2013, four dedicated students showcased their skills -- winning the SkillsUSA State Competition. And the Post-It's got to come out of the sock drawer.
I worked with them on perfecting their broadcast writing, their storytelling and their believability. Camera Cues were solid. Team Chemistry was evident. These are good kids. Our Male Anchor hosted his own radio show, our Female Anchor re-wrote political and world event stories each week; not for an assignment -- just to have me correct them...so she could improve her newsworthy sense. At State, the judges from ABC4 told me they would hire our Student Technical Director on the spot, "he was just that good." And our Floor Director, brought the team together with his accuracy in cues and his sense of humor.
They were the right group of students. I spent the first month of summer vacation holding practices so we could fine-tune their skills. We spent a ton of time at that school practicing! Gracie and Sienna came with me often. They acted as comic relief or the world's biggest distraction. Either way, it was good practice for the students to try and keep their focus.
We were just days away from the competition, and my June Curse hit again.
I was 7-weeks-pregnant, and I lost the baby.
My doctor teetered with the idea of me leaving for a week, but finally gave me the okay to travel with the team. I was in pain and sick the entire trip, and an emotional tornado. But being there and focusing on the team was the best thing for me - it helped distract me from feeling sorry for myself.
 |
| OCC Girls and Advisor Chris Griesemer |
They had 2 hours to build their newscast rundown and write a 3-minute show based off of 20 Associated Press Stories. And then they anchored, called and directed the show live. The show had to end exactly at the 3 minute mark - one second over or under would penalize their scores.
Friday night -- Closing Ceremonies. 20,000 people in Kemper Arena. It is so full, our team gets separated. I end up standing at the top of the arena by my co-teacher, Dustin.
"Broadcast News Production", the announcer's voice booms.
"Here we go", I think to myself.
"Bronze Medal - Washington."
"Okay....come on....come on....they deserve this," I am saying under my breath.
"Silver Medal - Delaware."
My heart sinks. Florida has won this competition for the past FIVE years. And it looks like their winning streak is about to continue.
"Gold Medal - UTAH"
It is as if time stood still. And then I start screaming....and screaming some more...and crying.
It is one of the most authentic moments in my life. So pure. So unexpected.
Not unexpected because Matt, Krista, Chase and Bailey didn't deserve the title. Because trust me they do, and their scores prove it. But because how often can you say you've been a part of a National Championship?!?!
It's like I won Miss America -- only BETTER because seeing the unbelievable excitement on these four student's faces, quadrupled my joy.
Look at them! Students who put their minds to something positive and made it happen. Lehi High School has never won a National Gold Medal in any of the 98 SkillsUSA competitions. These four students brought home the Gold
...and they broke my June Curse.
 |
| **National Champions** By winning Gold, this team won the 10-thousand dollar EZNews Software Program for Lehi High School. |
 |
| Krista Hintze who just started her Freshman Year at BYU. She has declared her major as Broadcast Journalism. She will be fabulous! During the week, we spent a great deal of time walking around Downtown Kansas City. It's a beautiful city. Here we are having a "Brittany Pose-Off". Apparently, I have a certain "pose" I strike in pictures. Everyone did a "BTait" pose for this one. What do you think? Who won?  |
Here's a story to restore your faith in humanity. Before I flew out for Kansas City, my husband said to me, "Hey Brittany, try to not lose our camera this year at the competition...okay?" I have a bit of a history misplacing our camera. And this year was no exception. Before Closing Ceremonies, I realized I didn't have the camera. I searched EVERYWHERE, called every place of business we had visited. It was MISSING. I had to tell Jody that his crazy wife had indeed done the very thing he asked me not to do.
Fast-Forward 7 weeks. I get a letter in the mail from a Nadine Russell in Clinton, Missouri. She's writing me to tell me she has my camera. Nadine was one of the bus drivers who drove the Utah Schools around at Nationals. She found the camera on her bus - scrolled through the pictures and wrote, "I recognized you in the pictures as the lady that ALWAYS wore the high heels on the bus."
Nadine didn't know my name, what school I was from, or anything about me....(other than the high heels.) She did some serious investigation - running into numerous blockstops. But she found me. Isn't that so nice?!?! Nadine is a friend for life. What a lovely lady with a good heart. Thanks to Nadine, we have our camera back.
 |
| **The Entire Lehi High School Crew** |
This is my co-teacher, Dustin. He invited me into his well-estabilished classroom more than two years ago. It's safe to say I shook up the routine with my quizzes on attribution, news judgement and the journalism inverted pyramid. We both have different methods; but the whole 'fire and ice' thing really worked out. It's been such a wonderful experience to be an educator, and I am thankful Dustin believed enough in me to let me teach along side of him.
At the annual national-level SkillsUSA Championships, more than 5,900 students competed in 98 occupational and leadership skill areas. The organization has 13,000 school chapters.
This event is larger than life!!
 |
Sweet Success |
