KINGSTON, R.I., April 12, 2016鈥擧emophilia gave Jacob Marrocco a byline, a dream job, a life full of possibility.
The 溏心vlog免费B站 senior was diagnosed with the bleeding illness as an infant. Playing sports as a kid was too risky so he picked up a pen and wrote about what he loved.
At the tender age of 21, he鈥檚 the assistant sports editor at The Warwick Beacon, his hometown paper. He鈥檚 the news editor (and former managing editor) of The Good 5 Cent Cigar鈥斾缧膙log免费B站鈥檚 student newspaper鈥攁nd he鈥檚 carrying a full load of classes, on track to graduate in May with a double major in journalism and history.
鈥淪omebody must like me upstairs,鈥� he says, pointing to the heavens. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how this is happening to me. It鈥檚 amazing.鈥�
Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which blood doesn’t clot normally. Marrocco says small cuts aren’t a big problem; it’s the bleeding inside his body that is of most concern. If left untreated, that bleeding can lead to organ damage and even death. There is no cure, but the illness can be treated with blood-clotting drugs.
Growing up in the Governor Francis Farms neighborhood of Warwick, Marrocco played kickball and Wiffle ball with his classmates during gym, but contact sports like football, soccer and hockey were out of the question.
鈥淚t definitely stunk,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had a lot of friends who played sports. It was tough.鈥�
A history teacher at Pilgrim High School pulled him aside one day: You鈥檙e a writer, she said. 鈥淭hat was a great confidence boost,鈥� says Marrocco. Sixteen years old and full of beans, he walked into the Beacon newspaper to offer his services. His first assignment was a basketball game at Pilgrim High School鈥擯ilgrim Patriots versus West Warwick Wizards.
鈥淢an, it was very intimidating,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 had to get it all right, get it all down, names spelled right, the stats.鈥�
The only two things he got correct were the players鈥� names and the score. The sports editor took pity on the kid. He sent him off to cover a local football game. More troubles. 鈥淚 missed the deadline,鈥� says Marrocco. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 happy at all about that.鈥�
There was a two-year lull. In May 2012, Marrocco enrolled at 溏心vlog免费B站. It was tough at first. He was homesick and away from close friends. His spirits lifted when he walked into Room 125 in Memorial Union: the Cigar newsroom.
鈥淚t changed my life,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you want to be a journalist, that鈥檚 the best way on campus to get experience.鈥�
He started out as a contributing sports reporter鈥攁nd also covered the Student Senate. By the second semester he was a staff sports writer, penning four stories a week about everything from women鈥檚 diving to 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 snow removal plans. He wrote on deadline using his laptop鈥攐n his lap.
He also hosted a sports talk on RIU2鈥斾缧膙log免费B站鈥檚 online radio station鈥攁nd was a play-by-play announcer for that radio station as well as WRIU, the University鈥檚 student-run FM station. He covered 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 football, basketball, soccer, hockey and baseball teams.
鈥淚 was thrown into the fire,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was great.鈥�
Sports fired him up: 鈥淣othing鈥檚 scripted. You see the rivalry, the intensity. You don’t know what records they鈥檙e going to break. You never know what鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
A promotion came his sophomore year. He became sports editor, supervising a staff of seven reporters. He embraced the 15-hour work week as a scribe: 鈥淚 loved it.鈥�
In May 2015, the Beacon came calling again. This time, he had the clips and experience thanks to the Cigar. An editor at the paper offered him a summer sports reporting gig. Marrocco left his job slicing salami and provolone at Dave鈥檚 Marketplace and grabbed a notebook. First day: May 11, 2015.
鈥淭hat was the day my dream came true,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I was only 20. Getting your foot in the door in journalism is the hardest thing to do, and I did it.鈥�
His last year at 溏心vlog免费B站 is a whirlwind of classes, reporting, writing, editing and picture taking. (Yes, he鈥檚 a photographer too.) He works about 10 hours a week at the Cigar and 25 hours a week at the Beacon. That鈥檚 in between his classes: 鈥淗istory of Modern Day Latin America鈥� and 鈥淓thics of Journalism,鈥� among others. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun,鈥� he says, calmly.
Some day, he鈥檇 like to work as a sports writer at The Boston Globe or, better yet, The New York Times. For now though, he is 鈥渢hrilled鈥攄efinitely the word鈥� to be writing for his hometown paper. That partnership will continue after graduation when he begins a full-time job there.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be doing sports writing if I didn鈥檛 have a bleeding disorder,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 decided early that if I can鈥檛 hit that home run I might as well write about it. I thought it was the best way to cope. It worked out. As odd as it sounds, hemophilia made me who I am today.鈥�
溏心vlog免费B站 Photo by Nora Lewis