Why Am I Here?

Why Journalism?

Surprisingly, I came into college with the hopes of becoming a Neurosurgeon. After watching Greys Anatomy my whole life, it just made sense. Neurosurgeon was it; the only plan that I had. There was no option of a plan B, because I was going to love it. 

The first week, I was hopeful and couldn't wait to get started. I made it through about the first month of classes and then realized I wanted nothing to do with the sciences. At this point, it was too late to switch classes, so I decided to give it more of a shot. I got to the end of the semester and there was no way I was going to do that again. 

Distraught, defeated, and lost was not enough to explain how I felt. It was definite that I needed to switch my major but I really struggled with what it was I wanted to do with my life. I explained everything I liked and was good at, and my success coach mentioned going into Strategic Communication, since it is such a broad field. 

So, I started my second semester as a Strat Comm major. It was such a change from Chemistry and Biology, I was almost bored to be honest. I went from having tons of homework and studying to do, to almost nothing. The work was very simple and easy to complete. 

At this point, I wasn't involved in too many extracurriculars because I was still trying to figure out what being in college really meant. So all that I had was classes. I would wake up, go to class, get my work done, and repeat. It was this endless cycle of being bored. 

With being bored, I started to overthink a lot and this led me down a very dark path. Switching my major sent me into a spiral; a fast, downhill spiral that seemed never-ending. I am someone who has never liked change and this was really testing me. 

I began to retreat into myself, questioning every decision I have ever made, while also telling myself I was a failure. Of course, this turned into a huge problem. I wasn't happy with myself and I wasn't happy with my new major. 

I got a very big wake-up call around this time last year. I had went home and ended up staying for almost a month because I felt so lost being here in High Point. There were many difficult discussions with my parents and discussions I needed to have with myself. 

I finally had the realization that I was putting too much pressure on myself and thinking too deeply into something as simple as a major. After being home for that amount of time, I knew I needed to come back to HPU. I needed to give myself grace and the time to figure out things, because in time everything ends up as it should be.  

When I got back to High Point, I finally worked up the courage to switch my major one last time. I knew I wanted to do it from the start but I let other's opinions get into my head. 

My cousin had told me that Journalism is a dying field and that I would make no money. As an 18 year-old freshman in college, hearing the words, "you aren't going to make any money," was enough to drive me crazy. But one day I woke up and I thought why would I sell myself short, and not even give it a shot? 

That day I stopped listening to other's opinions on my life and I decided to do what was going to be best for me. I emailed my advisor, we discussed it, she told me I was making the right decision and she couldn't wait to see all that I was going to do. I signed the papers and in the High Point University system about a day later, I was officially a Journalism major with a minor in Political Science.  

My story on how I got here is quite complex and is not always the most positive, but I'm thankful for every minute of my journey. Going through those really tough times of trying to figure out who I am and what I wanted out of life, shaped me into the young adult I am today. Being able to really question everything has made me feel very grounded in the path that I am now on. 

I needed to be unsure, and feel lost so I could find what I really wanted to do. After going through so many months of questioning and being distraught, I am very confident as a Journalism major. I know this was the right choice because as soon as I signed the paper to make Journalism my major, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I finally found what I was meant to do.

Writing has been a passion of mine since the day I learned to write the alphabet. The first core memory of when I realized I really enjoyed writing, was when my third grade English teacher told me that I was a fantastic writer and that I need to continue writing, no matter what. 

Looking back now as a sophomore in college, there is no way a third grader was really that good at writing. But that encouragement at such a young age has really fueled my love for writing. Having the opportunity to take writing-based classes has been such a privilege and an amazing experience. 

Classes such as Media Law & Literacy, have allowed me to better my writing while also learning about something that I am very interested in. This has led me to Never Stay Silent. I absolutely loved the set up of Media Law & Literacy and how writing-intensive it was. When I saw that I would be able to take another class with Professor Smith, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Being an aspiring Journalist who loves writing and discussing politics/current events, Never Stay Silent was a no-brainer to add to my second semester schedule. While I am a very strong creative writer, my goal is to write for a major news network one day. After learning journalistic style writing and how to actually write about news and events these last two semesters, I know this is where I'm supposed to be.  

The support from my friends and family got me through a very difficult Freshman year, and I am very proud to say that I have grown immensely. I can't wait to see all that this semester brings and how I grow as a Journalism major and writer. I'm very happy to be here!