For a great portion of my life, I was lacking direction. Sure, I got decently good grades in my classes and I was in a few extracurriculars, but a part of me was detached from these menial successes since I didn’t have the passion for it. I knew for a fact that I didn’t want to go into STEM, however I couldn’t tell you what exactly I wanted to do with my life. Until junior year, I just went through the motions and my life was just… blah. 

Then, my journalism journey began as Mrs. Roskens, who was just my UIL coach at the time, persuaded me to attend the boot camp hosted by our newspaper. At first, my friend Aarushi and I took this invitation lightly, and we had our fun experimenting with camera settings, interviewing each other and surveying the newsroom. But little did we know that these few days would open up an entire world that would soon consume our lives.

My life feels more full now as the newspaper has led me to meeting the most amazing people and uncovering their daily lives. I’ve had to go out of my comfort zone and actually go up to strangers to interview and film them (something I never thought I would do in a million years). But, I have learned that these strangers have such unique stories and I feel honored to share them on a platform like this. My work finally has meaning and I feel my purpose in every story I publish. Thanks to journalism, my writing, networking, photography, videography and interviewing has gotten infinitely better, and I can’t wait to work on them more in college.

Now more than ever, I’m convinced that journalists are needed more than ever — especially those that want to go into the nitty-gritty and cover the topics that usually fly under the radar. In fact, to prove this, I’m going to pursue journalism at Washington and Lee University. I want to continue the work I was doing in Prosper, from covering locals to reporting on community events and traditions. The joy and purpose that this gives me will hopefully motivate my future endeavors during my time in university. And who knows, maybe I will eventually become Editor-in-Chief of The Ring-tum Phi with enough hard work and reporting. I can’t wait to see what college will hold for me and I hope it is as successful as my years in journalism were.

My Thank-Yous

First and foremost, I want to thank Mrs. Roskens for opening up a new world for me and encouraging me every step of the way. You never shamed me for not knowing something, and instead taught it to me meticulously. Thank you for providing me with a foundation to success in the professional world.

Next, I want to thank my teammates, especially Tori, Kate and Aarushi. You guys kept me sane this school year and helped me lead the team. Tori, you’re such a hard worker and multitalented, and Howard is really getting the best. Kate, I’m so excited for you to lead our team next year! You’re the perfect person for the job and overall the nicest person ever. Aarushi, my bestie, I’m so grateful that I had you with me throughout my high school career, and we were together through all of our challenges. To the rest of my team: I appreciate each and every one of you and the fact that you put up with me this year. You guys all have such unique strengths and that really shined through in the newspaper. I hope I encouraged you to continue journalism!

Now, I want to thank my parents for supporting me pursuing journalism, even though you were hesitant since I wasn’t going down the traditional STEM path. Thanks for showing up when I needed it. 

Finally, I want to thank the entire town of Prosper for letting me cover its residents and events. Specifically, Todd Rice, the former communications director, for giving me all the latest details on these events and for always getting back to me on my emails. Thank you to everyone I interviewed for my pieces — I’m so happy that you let me share your stories.

This article was edited by Alexander Gutierrez, Kate Duncan and Palak Agarwalla.