A Family’s Blessing

Story posted May 5, 2017 in News by Andrea Smith


This film is about my younger brother named Daniel Cole. He is 7 years old and he is autistic.

The film is narrated by Daniel’s family and therapists as they talk about Daniel’s journey from the moment he was born with jaundice, to when doctors diagnosed his acute autism and to today.

My film will demonstrate Daniel’s day-to-day activities such as doing his homework, getting ready for school and therapy sessions. Most importantly the interviews show the compassion his family and therapists have for him, as they all want to see him succeed.

About the Contributors

Andrea Smith's photo

Andrea Smith

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

Currently, I am a senior at The Pennsylvania State University studying Broadcast Journalism and New Media Entrepreneurship. A dream of mine has always been to work in the mass media industry with a focus in entertainment journalism. I have been working towards this goal since I was an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, candidate. My interest in this industry began with immense passion in ballet and modern dance at a young age. This desire to be an Entertainment News Broadcast Journalist continued as I watched prominent programs including Oprah, Ellen, Access Hollywood, E! News and the Academy Awards! This past summer, I had the opportunity to work as an interning at CNBC Africa in Lagos, Nigeria. It was a phenomenal opportunity which allowed me to experience how journalism is practiced in another continent mostly comprising developing countries. This has certainly helped me to grow as a journalist.