On Feb. 4, 2025, I stood anxiously in a media scrum of dozens of career journalists clamoring to ask two-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes questions ahead of Super Bowl LIX. In that crowd, I was convinced I didn’t belong.
Sure, I was The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Sports editor at the time. But my previous reporting experience was mainly in swimming. I wasn’t even majoring in anything close to journalism; I was a nursing and healthcare management student. I didn’t grow up obsessed with football, and I had only started following it a few years prior. Yet somehow, I was here in the middle of a loud, brightly lit conference room with a pit in my stomach, and doubt consuming my mind. Despite that, I managed to squeeze in my question about Mahomes’ diverse wide receiver room, which included 2018 Wharton graduate Justin Watson, amid the noise.
It wasn’t the last time I’d do something while being terrified out of my mind.
The day after, I sat in a cafe in the Philadelphia Eagles’ hotel, staring blankly at my laptop that displayed a split-screen: on one side, a 90-page lawsuit filing by former Penn swimmers, and on the other, a blank article draft. Naturally, I was overwhelmed and intimidated. But the deadline didn’t care about that. So I started anyway, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. By the afternoon, I had written a story set for the front page of the paper.
Not even 24 hours later, my co-Sports Editor Sean McKeown and I sat hunched over on a couch typing away at our computers at the Hartford airport on our way back to Philadelphia, breaking national news about the Department of Education’s investigation into Penn and the takedown of Penn Athletics’ diversity, equity, and inclusion page — even more unfamiliar territory.
Looking back, I realize that I wasn’t alone with my nerves in any of those moments. There was undoubtedly another Super Bowl first timer at that scrum. Multiple journalists were anxiously writing up big stories under pressure at the Chiefs’ hotel. And while I don’t think anyone else at that airport was breaking national news, my DP colleagues also had some nerves as we worked to report that story.
This leads me into the biggest lesson I learned from DP: You’ll never walk into those big moments feeling 100% ready; no one does. Not athletes, not reporters, not you or me. But the difference between those who are successful and those who are unsuccessful is how you manage that fear and do it anyway.
Because at the end of the day, that fear isn’t a reflection of ability. It’s just a reaction to being in a moment that matters. And you don’t overcome fear before the moment unless you step into it.
Those fears and doubts were the biggest illusions for me. Ironically, the thing that made me feel out of place — my unconventional background — was what made my work at the DP unique. As a more casual sports fan, I was able to advocate for content that served members of the Penn community later in my term. I launched the guide series to make major events — from Penn Relays to the Big 5 Classic to March Madness — more accessible to casual Penn sports fans. My background in non-flagship sports, especially swimming, proved valuable when Penn swimming and diving entered the national spotlight.
Today, I still have some nerves before writing an article, even after nearly 150 bylines. But I’ve learned to overcome them by just diving into those moments. As I end my time with the DP, those moments — fittingly unconventional — have included traveling to Indianapolis to cover the Olympic Trials, driving for hours up to Cornell to cover an Ivy League tournament championship and March Madness berth, and staying up until 2 a.m. on a random Monday to break national news about House v. NCAA.
And I wouldn’t be able to say that I could’ve stepped into these moments and made the most out of them without the help of some people.
Thank you to my first Sports editor, Alexis Gracia, who laid the foundation for my sports journalism knowledge that led to nearly 150 articles — even though I’ve never taken a journalism class.To my Sports editor predecessors, Walker and Vivian: Thank you for always answering my frantic texts with questions so quickly. I was honored to continue the success you both set. To my partner in crime, Sean: Thank you for always being open to my ideas, helping me navigate the chaos of being an editor, and teaching me how to advocate for our department, and more importantly, myself. To my non-traditional deputy, Conor: while we joined DPOSTM at the same time, I’ve always looked up to you, and your energy and assists this past fall meant the world.
To the honorary DPOSTMites, Emily and Diamy: thank you for being patient as I edited content from the most unconventional of places — Spain, Thailand, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — and for curating a supportive culture where I truly felt no question was dumb. Lastly, a special thanks to the original “Sporty Nurse” Kristel Rambaud, who first convinced me to join DP Sports and has been a guiding light in many of the things I’ve done since.
To those reading, do it nervously. Do it terrified. Do it before you feel ready, because that’s usually when it matters most.
VALERI GUEVARRA is a Nursing and Wharton senior studying nursing and healthcare management from Wyckoff, N.J. She served as sports editor on the 141st Board of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. Previously, she served as a sports associate and reporter. Her email is valeri@wharton.upenn.edu.
