High school journalism has not always been my life.

My sophomore year of high school, I blindly waltzed into my high school’s journalism room after school for an interest meeting for the “Amory High School Photography and Newspaper Club.” I remember being introduced to the Journalism advisor, Mrs. Amy Wright. She encouraged me to just “pick up a camera and tell a story.” I took that idea and ran with it. I began working on articles and attending different school events to try and perfect what was at that point just a “hobby” or “extracurricular” to me.

The fall of that same year, my journalism class attended an MSPA convention at The University of Southern Mississippi. I was able to take classes and lectures from professionals and learn about the opportunities that were available to me in journalism.

I remember loading back onto the bus and immediately texting my parents: “Life update-I’m going into journalism for the rest of my life.” They of course both thought that it was a phase and that I was just on a “journalism high” after being around so many like-minded individuals. They were wrong.

Now, two years later, I am the reigning Editor-In-Chief of our Panorama and plan to pursue journalism in my future.