Sometime in 2015, my 8-year-old sister Mariama asked my parents if she could work at a newspaper. I scoffed at the idea. I was clueless as to what was going on at the Simpson Street Free Press (SSFP) until Mariama brought home a copy of the newspaper with her very own article inside. I joined because I wanted to see my name in those pages as well, but what started merely as an extracurricular grew into one of my greatest passions.
When I began at SSFP, my career aspiration was to be a pediatrician, then an OB/GYN, then a criminal justice lawyer, but never a journalist. I wanted to be someone important—someone people relied and called on for help and support. I never thought twice about the reporters giving us the news on TV or stopped to consider who was writing the words in the paper. How one became a journalist, I had no idea or interest in.
SSFP’s executive director would tease and ask me if I was ready to attend UW-Madison’s School of Journalism to become Madison’s top education reporter at a time when I was still writing about animals and historical figures. I would only laugh and brush it off, because when I thought about journalism, I thought about copious amounts of writing. And while I enjoyed writing, I couldn’t quite say it was my thing.
Entering SSFP, I didn’t feel confident with my writing skills. I could talk for days, and in many ways, my writing mirrored that—wordy, long, rambly, crowded. I was paired with teen editors and volunteers who were retired lawyers, professors, and librarians; they closely guided me through long and comprehensive editing sessions. I remember turning in my first article, stapled on top of a massive stack of edited drafts. I was proud.
I soon became far more than a writer. I was an active member of the press, representing the paper at events, sitting on panels, meeting and interviewing community leaders, and educating them on what we stood for.
When I was young what I thought we stood for was helping students continue learning how to read and write outside of school. But now, as SSFP’s education reporter, I know that the organization’s mission is to address the achievement gap, which is especially prevalent in Madison. Our task is to give the public the honest—and many times hidden—truth about the state of education in our city.
As I grew through the organization, I found an affinity for my work grow as well. After all of the articles, interviews, panels, and internships, I learned that I love talking to people and learning their stories. I love working with younger writers and helping them nurture their reading and writing skills as budding journalists. I love seeking out the truth and giving the public access to their right to know.
It did not take long for me to realize that I had no interest in going to medical school and I was too indecisive to choose a law track. But now I can say that the copious amounts of writing are worth it. I might not wear a lab coat or practically live inside a courtroom, but journalism is just as important, especially now, when the public is losing touch with honest, high-quality journalism written for the people, rather than for those in power. The press is for us, after all, and I intend to keep it that way.