T.J. Walker shares about making a positional shift by leaving his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to pursue a journalism degree and career opportunity in Lexington, Kentucky. This involved telling his friends and family, who were accustomed to staying in Louisville, about his decision. While his family was generally supportive, his friends were more disappointed that he was breaking from tradition. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a journalism degree, T.J. accepted a job offer from Rivals.com that would keep him in Lexington for the foreseeable future. Though the change was difficult, he felt the career opportunity was too good to pass up.

1. Positional Shift
T.J. Walker

2. Content Overview
My positional shift
The before
The change
The after
Telling friends
Reactions
Aftermath
The offer
Reactions

3. Leaving home in
a sense involves
a kind of second
birth in which we
give birth to
ourselves
American Sociologist

4. My shift
-Leaving Louisvill
-Setting goals
-Job offer
-Change goals
Photo courtesy of the University of
Louisville

5. The Before
Everyone of my friends and family was born and
raised in Louisville
Norm was to stay in Louisville
I was set on living my life in my hometown
Not one of our friends broke away from the cycle

6. The Change and After
Change
No college in Louisville had a Journalism program like UK’s
Had to tell them I was leaving, but that I would be back
Had job offer once I got to Lexington, would keep me from Louisville
for foreseeable future
After
Friends and family were disappointed
Not sure when our paths will cross again

7. Telling friends
Friends weren’t okay with me leaving Louisville,
but definitely weren’t ago after telling them four
years could be five, ten, or even fifteen years.
Was honest when I told them, felt like I was
losing friends, but understood I couldn’t pass up
job at Rivals.com
We all agreed it wouldn’t change our friendship
or relationship with family, but doubt still lingered

8. Rivals.com offer was too much
to pass up
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

9. Why change?
Despite having a plan to go to college and go
back to Louisville, my hard work in college was
noticed and was offered a full time job right out of
college
I felt Louisville wasn’t going anywhere and I
couldn’t pass up a chance
Change is scary but leaves a lot of opportunity
for me to grow
Won’t know if I made the right decision for a very
long time.

10. Telling family vs. friends
Family was generally happy
Parents were sad but felt all their tuition money
and hard work was paying off
Friends were more disappointed
Felt I was breaking the cycle of staying and living
in Louisville out of spite
But understood why I had to do what I had to do

11. What I’d do differently
Be open Look for options
I never imagined I If I wasn’t stubborn
would leave Louisville what other chances
could I have missed?
I never thought I’d be
in Lexington over four Was UK the best
years option?
Being open would have I would have visited
helped prepare myself colleges outside the
for changes state

12. Works Cited
Quote from Robert
Neelly Bellah. Found at
Quotes.com.
Picture from the
University of
Louisville.edu
Picture from
Rivals.com
All other pictures are
personal pictures