Meet Jaclyn Berry: Our March Leading Woman

Name: Jaclyn Berry

Major: Double major Documentary Journalism and Film Production

Hometown: Lee’s Summit, MO

What are your career/life goals?

⁃I’m not exactly sure what job I want but I know I want to be able to tell people’s stories through video.

What is your favorite part about Documentary Journalism?

⁃I have a passion for film because of the creativity behind it and for journalism for being able to tell the facts about a subject. So my favorite part of documentary is being able to cross the creative and engaging art form of filmmaking into the research based and honest work of journalism.

How has your experiences in Theta changed you?

⁃Theta has opened doors to many experiences that have opened my eyes to so many issues in our society. I am constantly surrounded by women who are chasing their own dreams and often trying to make a difference in everything around them on their way. It has encouraged me to understand that even though my goals may be hard to reach, they are not impossible and the support that I feel from everyone leaves me thankful to no end. I joined theta because they were women that I could see myself hanging out with now, but also women that I felt could push me to become the best version of myself in the future and I was 100% correct.

Tell us about why you chose your major?

⁃I kinda answered this is my favorite part.

⁃Documentary journalism has always been something that I’ve been drawn towards because it was the perfect combination between my two biggest interests: film and journalism. I’ve been watching documentaries for a long time from Connor McGregor: Notorious about the life of the UFC fighter to Period. End of Sentence about women in India without access to feminine hygiene products to The Great Hack about our data rights. I’m drawn to the way that this long form of journalism can be so incredibly informative and interesting at the same time in a unique way that I believe only video can capture. It’s an art form based on facts.

What are you passionate about?

⁃I’m passionate that every single person has the potential to be and do something amazing. Which is part of the reason why I’m so fascinated in the chance to tell people’s stories and to highlight the strides that people are making in social issues.

What does Theta mean to you?

⁃Theta means being accepted for exactly who I am without worry or rejection, because we are a group of women with such a wide variety of interests but our core values are what hold us together and make us such a strong sisterhood.

Do you have any advice to the underclassmen?

⁃Come to the house as much as possible. Second semester freshman year, our then president Hailey Markt genuinely thought I lived in house at one point because I spent so much time there. Talk to people in and out of your member class. Your connection to Theta will grow exponentially and you won’t regret a second that you spend there.

Do you have a specific favorite Theta memory?

⁃I’ve made so many memories with my friends thus far, but one memory that stands out to me was on a random afternoon. I was upset and stressed out because I had so much going on and wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to get it all done. My friends listened to what I had to say and Alayna’s response was “I think we just need to have a dance party to handle it.” So we did. We just danced and sang to the songs as loud as we could until none of us were thinking about what was stressing us out. It was such a fun moment that I hope I won’t soon forget.