danielleruddy

About Me

Dear Readers,

“5678!” I have heard, as well as said, this phrase since my first-ever dance class in 2007. Just like most of you, my parents put me in a dance class as soon as I was old enough at three years old, and ever since then, I have developed the deepest love and passion for the art of dance. When I was twelve years old, I auditioned and earned a spot on my dance studio’s competitive team, where I worked day in and day out to strive to exceed my current skills, which led me to win multiple awards and scholarships throughout the years. I competed with numerous solo routines as well as duets, trios, and group dances where I was lucky enough to be a lead dancer in some of those routines. Additionally, if any of you have danced before, I am sure you understand how influential your teachers and friends that you meet through dance are to you. For me, my best teachers and friends have seen my biggest victories and my biggest defeats, and either way, they are always there for me.

The turning point came in my junior year of high school when I joined the Winter Park High School Dance Team. I will forever say that joining this team changed my life forever. Of course, I always loved to dance, but joining the school’s dance team opened so many doors for me; I got to be more involved with my school, and it introduced me to a whole new world of dance that I never knew about. While, of course, my dancing skills increased rapidly after becoming a team member, the life lessons and experiences I gained on this team are something that I will cherish forever. Such as what it means to truly be a team, the discipline and hard work it takes to make a team appear as one, and the pure joy of succeeding with the team that feels like family and watching all your hard work pay off. A moment I will never forget is my junior year nationals. This was a COVID year, so we had to wait much longer to be able to compete. Instead of competing in early February, our time was extended to late April. If you know anything about the dance team world, that is a long time to spend on two routines. But after cleaning every single detail (and I mean EVERY detail), by the time we got to nationals, we made history for the dance team, and both of our routines placed in the final round of the competition, which was such a surreal moment that I will never forget.

My name is Danielle Ruddy. I am currently a communications major, studying strategic social media and dance as my minors at Jacksonville University, and studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy for the summer of 2024. As you can tell, I am a dancer through and through, but while in school, I have also developed a deep love and passion for creating videos and being in the action of a newsroom as a reporter and coming up with new and current ideas to share. Obtaining this major was not an easy feat. I came to college with a different major and did not enjoy it at all. After speaking to many people, I finally landed on communications. I am forever grateful that I made the change because I am now studying something that I enjoy and can see myself doing in the future. These majors and minors captivate my vast interests and passions and allow me to succeed and be a part of programs that I enjoy.

Fast forward to my current journey at Jacksonville University, where I am a member and officer within my sorority Alpha Delta Pi and the public relations chair for the Panhellenic Council at JU. I also am studying abroad this summer and will be posting and promoting my content I produce while studying in Sorrento, Italy. This has always been a big goal of mine, and I am eager to explore a whole new way of living. My goal for my time abroad is to not hold back, participate in everything I can, and fully soak in the Italian culture.

Beyond the realm of dance, my interests have found an outlet in the dynamic field of media. Once I started my major, I dove right in and got myself involved with everything that I possibly could. I joined the Dolphin Channel media and became a leadership student; I learned that I love being in the live newsroom and being on camera sharing news. I also love editing footage together to show a story. The Dolphin Channel allows me to engage further into my other passion, exploring the evolving and ever-changing world of social media. I am so lucky to be able to not only pursue this as my major, but I get to incorporate it into my everyday life by running all social media for the Panhellenic Council and for the dance team. This dual pursuit is not just a personal interest but aligns with my aspirations for a future career. I also had the unique opportunity to job shadow a news anchor at First Coast News.

Dreaming big, my ultimate goal is to work for a major news television company and take on the role of an anchor. I envision myself in a major city delivering news with credibility and passion. Another big goal of mine is to cheer for an NFL football team. In the future, I hope to be able to make all of this happen by working hard day in and day out and never losing sight of my ultimate goals.

In every aspect of my life, I approach challenges and opportunities with a glass-half-full outlook. Positivity, dedication, and passion are the driving forces that propel me forward every day. A phrase that I live my life by is to always have fun no matter what you’re doing, make life your party and you will never have a dull moment.

Whether I’m in the dance studio, navigating the world of media, or envisioning my future as a news anchor, my commitment and drive for success will always remain.

         XOXO,

Danielle Ruddy