VIU_Magazine_Summer_2017

VIU.EDU
saying things like “stupid child.” I met
her in Hungary and we started to work
together. I told her please do not have fear
of others because you are strong enough
to achieve your goals. She went on to
become the only disabled person in the
EU to win the Miss Universe Hungary.
After she went on the TV show Megastar
to sing in sign language. I learned sign
language to communicate with her. It
was my job to be her interpreter and
after I recommended to the Office of the
Hungarian President to have her as the
sign language interrupter for the New
Year address to the nation; this is her
fourth year. I wrote a book about her, The
Speech of the Queen. She held a speech
in the Hungarian National Assemblynot
just for the President but also for
the disabled. It was my mission to build
her as a strong person because I tried to
explain to her that I cannot help because I
am not disabled. You are more interesting;
you have more opportunity to show
people “if I could do that so can you.”
Passion through Journalism
ournalism has become shorter because
of social media. I publish directly to
my Facebook page sometimes, I
bought some electronic devices to
communicate in a better way. I have had
Facebook access basically everywhere
except for North Korea. Everything is
how I see it live- about everyday heroes.
Everything is about this idea that
journalism could improve, journalism
could develop, journalism could help
your life. Many many times I’ve felt it; a
person comes to me and says “I thought
my problem was the biggest in the world,
but yesterday I saw your story and I
recognized that I have no problem.”
I use Facebook to connect with people
now. I have over 210,000 followers now.
When I make a short video and post it
to Facebook, I am using that platform
to connect with people. This is very
open communication- I’ve never had
that before. I didn’t know what kind of
possibilities and opportunities it has to
offer and I have to communicate by using
all possible channels. I enjoy connecting
with my audience via the Facebook live
feature. I want to show how them that I
am open to everyone, people are trusting
me [as a journalist] and are traveling with
me all around the world.
I hold presentations, not to educate- I’m
not cleverer than other people, but maybe
I have more experiences. I just gave two
evening talks in London. Recently a
woman reached out to me and told me
that she has to have a surgery but delayed
it because she wants to come to London.
She told me that it [the speeches] give
her more power than surgery. I have
my power and I’m using my power. My
power is that my books [have sold] over a
million copies and if I have a TV program
it’s over a million viewers and this is a
power. And I have to use it in a good
way and not in a bad way. I like to show
people everyday heroes that are not in
tabloid newspapers dealing with plastic
surgeries and parties. I want to show
everyday heroes who are not famous, but
real, like doctors or firefighters.
These people are making a difference in
the lives of other people; they are putting
themselves out there to save people and
go into places no one else wants to go.
And if they can do that successfully, what
“Everything is about this
idea that... journalism
could help your life.”
kind of problems do you have? If you
think about the problems that you have
today; I’m sure you would say it was a
traffic jam or computer issues; but after
seeing these wonderful amazing people,
their accomplishments, you would say
who care about my printer`s issues, that
is a not a problem at all. I would like to
touch people- touch their spirit, touch
their heart, their emotions.
Some time ago, a woman named,
Gabriella, came to one of my
presentations. Two months later I
received a letter from her stating she
fulfilled her lifelong dream of completing
a marathon. So I cannot- this is not a
Pulitzer Memorial Award- helping to
inspire people like her is bigger than this
kind of human world.
Summer 2017 University Magazine, VIU
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