Featuring Meridian Alumni, Guadalupe Dimas
Drive. You just have to listen to Meridian Alum, Guadalupe Dimas, for a few minutes to understand that this word, drive, describes him better than most words can. Even as a freshman in high school, just some 15 years old, Dimas knew what direction he was headed and worked to get there. As we talked with Guadalupe Dimas, now freshman at UNL, it is no surprise, his success and motivations have only increased and his chances of greatness has only gotten larger.
Dimas knew what his passion was from the day he walked into his first class as a freshman at Meridian High School. He wanted to embrace any opportunity he had for broadcasting and journalism experience. The school did a little web streaming at the time, but it was Dimas who took it upon himself to confront his media teacher, Chris Schropfer and ask if there was anything more they could do as a school to get going with better broadcasting opportunities. At the time it was mainly just yearbook for any experience in the field at all.
As small towns so often go, Dimas worked for Chris’ husband as a hired hand. The summer going into his sophomore year, Mrs. Schropfer caught Dimas at work and told him that the school had given the nod for Striv to be implemented and he was the guy for the job to get it up and running. First, Dimas was hesitant with Striv thinking that it may just ‘kinda’ be what he had in mind, but turned out to be ‘exactly what he wanted to excel at’.
The first year was a lot of getting acclimated with the software and getting comfortable with Wirecast. Dimas got the programs and the system down very quickly and settled in to broadcasting games and starting a news show a few months into using Striv. Second semester brought new opportunities such as learning iMovie and figuring out how to utilize the little equipment the school had on hand.
As Dimas’ junior year approached, the ball didn’t stop rolling. The school had purchased a green screen and built out the news room. Things were beginning to heat up as the Meridian Striv team started producing a lot of content. Dimas paved the way and began managing stories, editing content and worked to make things as professional as they could possibly get. Dimas envisioned a great thing at Meridian and he would do his very best to get as close to that vision as possible before his turn walking the halls were over. He also fit one more thing into his schedule his junior year that proved to be a great idea. On the advice of a teacher, he job shadowed at HuskerVision. This was great experience and got his foot in the door for future possibilities.
As his senior year came around and Dimas, once again, carried a full work load during school hours. Not to mention a few extra curricular activities he was involved in such as football, wrestling, track, Students Council, National Honor Society, FBLA, Speech, One Act, Show Choir and band (which were just off the top of his head!), he couldn’t fit the Striv class into his schedule. He didn’t let that stop him from growing in broadcast. He found time during a ‘free period’ to come troubleshoot for the class. He mentioned that,“Staying involved and staying hectic prepped me for the media career path.”
Seems like his high school hard work paid off as he chose to start school at UNL after graduation. That job shadow at Husker Vision made an impression as he was told that there was no need to interview as his job shadow was all they needed to know to hire him on. He was told that watching them edit for 20+ minutes is not normal; ‘no one does that’. Well, Dimas still carries his vision and he, ‘does do that’.
Dimas began this year as a freshman at UNL, working with HuskerVision straight out of the gate ‘opened his eyes to the big time sports production’. He was happy to be a part of Striv to get it off the ground at Meridian and he is grateful to be a part of Husker Vision to get more experience under his belt. At Husker Vision, Guadalupe carries multiple jobs, which he is no stranger to. He has run the camera for Husker baseball, helps with the Student U live stream broadcast on BTN (Big Ten Network), worked on highlights and iso footage for Husker wrestling and carries cords on the field at Memorial Stadium during Husker football games for a veteran, grad student cameraman; which he takes notes from because he will one day be the veteran running the camera. Dimas soaks up all he can and jumps in to do as much as he can as he says, “I don’t want to look back and wish I would have tried something.” He learns and grows from the video editing department remarking that ‘I thought I was good at this when I was in high school…it is insane with what they can do here.’
Behind the scenes of the live Student U broadcast tonight. Incredible experience for all involved. Tune to BTN now! https://t.co/srGICtaLQn
— BTN Student U (@BTNStudentU) November 10, 2015
Dimas is undoubtedly driven. He is always preparing himself for the next step and for his future endeavors. Even if those endeavors are hard for Striv CEO to hear as Siebert was hopeful for him to be a part of the Striv team one day. Dimas gave a polite laugh and explained that his dreams are to do Advertising and Public Relations as well as Broadcast Production as his career after college. He would love to stay in the sports arena, but says, “as much as I’m doing this because I love sports, I’m doing this because I love the profession.” He hopes to snag an internship with the Saltdogs and/or Hudl and keeps an ultimate vision of finding that job on the East or West Coast that exposes him to a diverse group of people to continue striving for knowledge, self growth and a vast world-view experience.
It is fun to watch Dimas be so successful at UNL and at HuskerVision. It came to no surprise from anyone that knows him and his work ethic and drive as he attended Meridian High School. Advice he expresses to anyone with the desire to pursue the same path he is on: ‘Open yourself up to learn new things, get in early and find internships; experience translates into jobs and finally, stick with what you know and expand on that, be willing to learn and opportunities will open up that you can excel at.’
Excelling indeed, Guadalupe Dimas. Great work!
Interested in learning more about how your school can share their story with Striv? Go here.
Written by Jessica Siebert (StrivU Director)
