I’ve always loved learning new things, especially when it came to English. I’ve always been a fan of making picture books in Kindergarten, or pretending to be a news reporter. It’s always been some sort of passion of mine. When I was young, my teachers would applaud me for my above average reading level, my mediocre fiction stories, and my journaling. So, I pursued a life that would enrich that part of my mind much further. I’m not quite sure where the love for writing started though. I fondly remember getting a leatherbound journal early on in my life by my grandma, and I stayed up late one night writing a story about some stupid apocalypse. I still keep that book today, next to my bed. Whenever I feel down, I can take a gander at it, and laugh at my 5th grade grammar and writing skills. I’ve come a long way since then, that’s for sure. Since then, I’d taken many writing classes, many of them for the creative side, but nothing journalistic. It was a style of writing I lacked knowledge in, so, I asked around to get me put in the class.

Although this class, was a challenge to those skills I’ve built up. Journalistic writing is nothing like writing novels and fiction fantasies. Journalism is all about the truth, the community, and getting the proper information out in a timely manner. All of them, things I had little to no knowledge of. I spent days fixing stories with simple errors, and my mind still stuck in the creative aspect of writing. It was a testament to my knowledge thus far, but my peers have helped me become much more efficient in my work.

Through my time of writing, and through my high school experience, none is as rich with knowledge as this class. I’ve learned many new ways to create pieces, create content, and entertain the masses. I’ve learned to use a camera, (Even If I forgot the battery,) and to interview people I don’t know. I’ve met good people, and many friends that have helped me create beautiful pieces, and have expanded my horizons much out of my comfort zone. Many of these things I can thank Mrs. Basinger for. She’s taught me how to take good angles with a camera, to get the truth, and the deeper meanings of a story, and see things from a different angle. I can look back at my profile and see how much my stories have changed from beginning to end, and Honestly, I’m glad It’s changed. I’m able to move on to bigger things in the future, and from there, Expand even more because of what I’ve learned in this class, and at this high school. It’s prepared me for the future, and I can thank no other place for the same thing.