About

Student journalism always seemed like an amazing endeavor, but never one I would have thought I could even get the chance to take part in. Years ago, I wanted to try my hand at journalism so I joined my school's newspaper club in middle school, but when I was the only student that showed up to the first and last meeting, the teacher decided to cut the whole project, despite my protests not to. Dejected, I continued writing creatively and put my hope for reporting on a temporary back burner.

    January 25th of my eighth-grade year was when that flame was reignited. It was my high school audition for a school that would let me pursue my passions in communications, I told myself that I needed to get in. After practicing my speech under my breath until my throat felt dry, I needed something to stop my hands from shaking. On the side table to my left, I saw some copies of The Muse. I picked one up and forced my fidgety fingers to flip through the pages. I read every page and every article with nervous adrenaline and entertained the idea of how amazing it could be if my name was in the byline one day.

  At this time last year, I thought I had found my place in writing, but I have found that while my love for writing is still pervading, my love for coaching has made me fall in love with journalism all over again. I never thought I would become so giddy when a staffer texts me a question (at sometimes bizarre hours of the night) or when I get to explain my responses the next day on the Smartboard. Whenever I am typing extra fervently or with a smile on my phone or laptop, it is known in my house that I am editing. 

At my eighth grade audition, I thought I would be more than content when seeing my name as the byline of each story, but now it's not my name that excites me. Each time an issue is printed or something is uploaded to the website, I squeal inside because I know the work those staffers went through to get it there. 

 The Muse is so much more than me and my efforts, each of us in this publication is as much part of the publication as the ink itself and frankly, I am just honored to be part of that process. 

I love exploring the ins and outs of demographic spreadsheets, curating puns into writing presentations, and sharing knowledge that I never would have acquired if I wasn't working on or editing a story on the topic. 

Going forward, I want to continue to learn new things in journalism every day. I've taken on writing, a brief venture into copy, and a graphic here and there, and now I am ready to dissect the web. But more than that, I want to share the diversity that our school has to offer and share the issues that need to be highlighted. I want every story to be better than the last and to never shy away from the more difficult topics. There is never an end to improvement and I am so excited to continue on this scholastic media journey. 

I cannot get over that I am the one who gives interviewing tips when my hands still shake on the inside when conducting my own interviews. But I tell the writers what I still need to remind myself: just grasp the reporter's notebook and pen, ask questions, and just truly listen. Do not listen to respond; listen to hear.