My Bay Weekly
Bay Weekly newspaper has shaped me into the woman I am today.
I come to you now as a successful young woman and member of the community actively involved with local causes and a member of two boards. (For which I pay a price: This is the first year in many that I have worked most holidays and not spent as much time with friends or family.)
I rediscovered Bay Weekly newspaper as I sat on a bench at a local restaurant waiting on my order. (I remembered the paper as one where I read horoscopes and did crossword puzzles.)
I was in the midst of a crisis of sorts, working long hours in retail with no end in sight, barely seeing anyone, even my own boyfriend, sleepwalking through my life. Then, poof! there it was in front of me, the apparent job of my dreams, with vacations and flexible hours.
There was no way that they would want someone like me, I was sure. Still, my boyfriend persuaded me to go for an interview, telling me that the worst that could happen is that they would say no. One day in September 2015, I headed to the Bay Weekly office to meet with the staff. The rest is history.
Bay Weekly gave me a supportive environment in which to grow and spread my wings. They had so much belief in me even from that first day — at the time more than I had in myself. That belief motivated me to chase my own dreams and make bigger plans for myself, starting with going back to school full-time to obtain my bachelor’s degree. That support helped me through my darkest times as well and gave me the strength to continue on through the loss of two parents.
When I took art classes, Bay Weekly used my art for its Coloring Corner. When I took an interest in a story, I often got to write it.
With my flexible hours, I was able and encouraged to reinvest my time not only in my family but in the community as well and realize that my voice and influence mattered and that people wanted to know me.
When I look back at pictures of myself before I found Bay Weekly, I barely recognize the unhappy woman staring back at me. That’s why I can easily define what Bay Weekly has done for me. For that, I will be forever grateful.
A sales representative and Jill-of-many-trades since 2015, Audrey Broomfield moves with Bay Weekly to Chesapeake Bay Media in 2020.