Maria Alvarez: Time Out for Dart

Maria and her son, Kevin, live in Battery Park City. Maria covered the attacks on 9/11 for the New York Post.

I am so very grateful these days that I am a Dart Fellow. The importance of our fellowship was renewed during Deirdre’s Big Apple visit. A few days did wonders in taking stock of my career as a journalist and offered me a moment of reflection that inspired once again the mission of our group.

Time always gets the best of us. Stories to write. Deadlines that have to be met and ambitions to get the story that will hopefully enlighten and motivate readers and audiences we communicate with daily — and of course the need to earn a buck in these transitional times in the industry.
This is why it is so important to bond now and offer each other support. We all know how it feels to be abandoned by our employers and editors when we were out there on the front lines covering the stories that we know are historic, and that connect the world today. And still we continue to move forward and do our jobs with passion and purpose.

Dart gives support and understanding. It allows reporters to connect with colleagues: to share stories — not the bravado war stories we are known to tell — but the emotional fallout that stays within us. We too have stories to tell. We too need to unload and find support, and Dart offers that to our profession.

That is why I have committed myself to induct another New York journalist into the fold this next year, as we Dart Society members have the opportunity to grow our ranks. This is a commitment to give back to the fellowship and help another colleague get the emotional support needed to have a healthy spirit so they can continue to work and not burn out.

Offering a Dart opportunity to someone you know can benefit from the wealth of support we offer.