Mondays at lunch in the computer lab were the best. I’d walk in with my black pen and flimsy pink notebook ready for my next assignment. When I graduated from elementary school, I knew the only thing I’d miss would be my weekly Junior Reporters meetings. After all, that’s where I learned I could write more than short stories and poetry — that there is an entire world of real stories to write about. 

No matter where I went, I couldn’t stop writing. In middle school, I tried out broadcast journalism and creative writing; in high school, I applied to write for my school’s newspaper. After a certain point, it felt as though writing was finding its way to me. The edges of my notebooks were scribbled in the monologues, lyrics and stanzas that sprung up in my mind everywhere I went. While I was exploring new creative territories, and on the other, journalism stood as a constant thread for me to come back to. I kept writing and reading articles, figuring out what I cared most about. Eventually, one thing led to the other and I eventually became the editor in chief of my school’s newspaper.

Today, about once a month, I get to school a little before 8 a.m. with a stack of newspapers to distribute. Distribution days are beyond rewarding. Hearing whispers in the hallway about a story and debriefing everyone’s hard work in our newsroom only drives me to find ways to improve our coverage. As distribution finishes, pitching ideas for the next cycle begins — followed by editing the staffers’ articles, and designing pages after school before going back to distributing. 

Somehow, I started finding comfort in this repetition. And I think it’s because I started realizing that every cycle was unique. Every cycle demanded strict deadlines and objective facts, but it also required creativity tailored to the content we were publishing. Which is why I now believe journalism is misunderstood. Journalism isn’t just a long verbose article consisting of links to studies and data points every other line. I sincerely believe that’s not what journalism is meant to be. Contrary to popular beliefs we have as a result of the media we are constantly exposed to, I believe journalism is human. That it’s about stories and experiences. Instead of losing people in an overabundance of factual knowledge, journalism is about intertwining the numbers with the stories to convey the reality. It is to provide access to all aspects of humanity so people see the unfiltered truth. It isn’t just about the “what.” It’s also about the “why” and the “how.” If done right, I believe people can see themselves in journalistic works. 

As preachy as it may sound, journalism truly is about humanity. I suppose that’s why I’ve always found myself coming back to journalism: I’ve never been fully creative, and neither have I been the type to look at everything around me logically. I’ve always found myself in this middle gray area. So although I could spend hours reading movie scripts, writing stories, poetry and lyrical excerpts, I’ll always return to journalism — no matter how repetitive it may seem.