Comfort in journalism

If you were to ask me at the beginning of my freshman year if I would take a class where I interview people, create stories, and share my own stories, I would’ve told you no. Yet here I am writing stories I thought I never would have shared with anybody.

I remember the first time I entered journalism, I had no idea what the class was about. I was nervous coming into a space I’ve never been in. Then learning what the class entailed, such as writing, publishing stories, and recording myself, I was even more nervous because I was shy talking to new people, and hearing my own voice made me irritated.

Although I was scared and initially hated journalism I still pushed myself to try in the class and my stories. What got me to push myself was my 8th grade teacher. I remember visiting her and telling her I didn't like journalism and she told me I should give this class a try and to not give up because she liked the way I wrote.

In addition to the encouragement I received from my middle school teacher, what also got me to push myself was seeing how everyone got comfortable with the space and wrote stories that were sensitive. This helped me realize I should stay in journalism and try something new.

One of my favorite stories I wrote was “Standing Strong” . It was my favorite because I felt like it could be a story for anybody who had a similar experience and I just felt comfortable enough sharing my story in this space. I remember after the story was published and the class heard it I felt nervous but proud of myself.

One of the reasons I felt proud was due to the positive notes I received. Positive notes are when someone shares their story to the class and after the class gets to write something positive about the writer's story. I remember people saying things like “you’re brave” and “ I can relate to this.” 

Being in journalism helped me get out of my bubble and by the end of the year I wanted to retake the class. Through journalism I’ve gotten better at writing stories that show what's important to the community like the ice raids and one of our advisors at school who has supported me a lot.

Overall, journalism helped me grow not just as a writer but as a person. I feel like I’ve become more open and more connected to the people around me.

For Warrior Times, this is Leslie Contreras.