Personal Narrative

The past three years of being a member of the Yearbook Staff have had a tremendous impact on the person I am today and am still becoming. Journalism has taught me numerous life skills and advanced my leadership qualities. As a sophomore in high school, I was still new to the culture and environment of my school as the last part of my freshman year, was taken away from me due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without much knowledge of the student life, sports and academics of Oxford High School, creating spreads and writing stories was a challenge. Time management and organization are two of the largest lessons I have taken away from Journalism as I had to learn how to complete my spreads in an adequate amount of time in order to meet deadlines. In addition to this, I had to balance being a yearbook staff member with an athletic and other clubs and organizations at my school. Fortunately, I was able to take these lessons into my role as a Team Leader and Editor as I had to assist and direct my fellow staff members in the creation of our publication. In every young journalist, there will be flaws and mistakes. Patience was something I had to grasp, in which I placed myself in my younger classmates' shoes, and considered how they most likely felt the same way I once did. Through all the errors and challenges that came with the making of our annual book, my staff and I came together as one to learn, grow, and overcome. As I look to the next phase of my life, I believe that there are many more areas of my life that need improvement, but with the skills and knowledge I have gained through journalism, I believe that I am ready to take my life and college career one step higher.