This Friday I went to a local coffee shop that had been broken into with reporter Jason Marks and photographer Greg Gadberry. It was my first story at WAVY and it couldn’t have asked for a better one. I was grateful no one had been killed or put it any danger, but I still was there for a very real experience.

The coffeeshop, PourFavor was raising money for a 24-year-old woman who had been hit by an 18-wheeler earlier this year. It happened over Spring Break. The woman was a family friend and PourFavor had a donation jar on the counter by the cashier with three to four hundred dollars in it at the time. Marie and Lisa Depedro owned the shop and described themselves as “disgusted and disappointed.” I stood next to Jason as he asked the questions, I watched Greg as he got b-roll, and that put me right in the center of the people who were impacted. They said they would’ve given him free food or a job if he needed, that he didn’t have to steal. They’ve emptied the jar at their other location and have promised to replace the money themselves.

After getting the interview, we visited the actual scene. Jason walked me through stand ups, gave me some advice, and then told me to write one while he was recording his. I had maybe five minutes to get it done and feel confident about it. I just had to go for it. As soon as he finished, I was on camera recording the standup that I just wrote on my phone standing outside of the shop where someone just broke in. I often hear, ‘Do you want to be on camera or behind the scenes?’ but on camera jobs are more behind the scenes than I thought.