LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
October 6-12, 2024 has been slated as National Newspaper Week by Newspaper Association Managers. The event is a seven-day promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada.
Publishers, editors and journalists are encouraged to use the dedicated time to share their stories of how they ended up working within the journalism industry.
According to Newspaper Association Managers, “Every one of us has a story about what led us to this profession. Maybe it was the thrill of chasing a breaking news story, the joy of telling the untold tales of our community or the drive to hold the powerful accountable. These are the stories that define us, inspire us and keep us committed to the work we do every day.”
I want to use this opportunity to share my story with you…
Almost 10 years ago, my passion for journalism was sparked in a small classroom at Mattoon High School. I learned so many things about myself and my future with the help of my teacher, Mrs. Amanda Bright, and my peers.
I still remember the day we started learning about Adobe InDesign and how to use it to design a newspaper. I picked it up quickly and found myself consistently focused and happy while working on those projects. The new skill sparked a creativity I hadn’t recognized before.
Mrs. Bright also noticed my efforts and encouraged me to apply for Journalism II, a class dedicated to making a monthly newspaper publication.
Fast forward to the following semester, I became the design editor for the MHS Mirror. Saying I was excited would be an understatement.
I spent the next two years pouring my heart into my work at the Mirror. Interviews with students, staff and community members, trips to sectional and state competitions (which I placed fairly well in) and distribution days were the highlights of my time in high school.
Some students think back to their senior prom or Friday night football games, but I reminisce about the smell of printer ink on my hands and arms from delivering papers around the school. It was a sense of accomplishment and comfort to know that I contributed to a real publication that people would read and discuss.
I may not remember what I had for dinner last night, but I can tell you about the articles I wrote and the pages I designed in that 200 Hall classroom.
In 2016, my senior year, the Mirror staff no longer had the luxury of having Mrs. Bright as our mentor and teacher. Although we cheered her on as she went to teach at Eastern Illinois University, the loss was still devastating. Our new advisor, whose name I honestly can’t remember, didn’t bring the same passion and interest in journalism as Mrs. Bright did.
The entire Mirror staff carried a lot of extra weight that year, but we made it. We still produced a top-of-the-line publication, which won first at state, again, and took advantage of the time we had left on the team.
In March 2017, we got the news that the MHS Mirror wasn’t going to be an operating class, club or publication after the end of the school year. I’m not going to lie, we were some very frustrated students. The legacy that had been building at the Mirror was being killed and there was no way for us to stop it.
Our final publication and distribution day should’ve been a celebration of another successful year and promote discussion of how to make the paper bigger and better. Instead, we were, quite literally, mourning. We spent the day remembering the past rather than planning the future.
Between the loss of the paper and the lackluster advisor, my passion for journalism became almost nonexistent. I skipped out on college and spent the next five years working in various jobs, none of which felt like a career or were enjoyable.
In February of 2024, I took a leap of faith. I called my local newspaper office, The Prairie Press, and asked if they offered any internship opportunities for college students. I expected a quick no, but to my surprise, I was later offered an interview in March. I started my internship here in May and the passion for journalism came back just as quick as it had left. In July, I became a full-time staff writer here at The Prairie Press. I can’t begin to explain how many happy tears fell from my eyes when that offer was extended to me. I finally felt like I was working towards a real future and a career that I would fall in love with.
So here I am, eight months past the big leap, attending Lake Land College while still writing at The Press, and enjoying every day I get to do that. I may not have Mrs. Bright here to guide me, but I have found solace in my new advisors and friends. Bethany Wagoner, Robby Tucker, my family and countless others have pushed me to be the best version of myself I can be. My creative limits are consistently expanding thanks to their encouragement.
Simba sang a phrase in The Lion King 2 that fits this little story quite nicely.
“As you go through life, you’ll see there is so much that we don’t understand, and the only thing we know is things don’t always go the way we planned.”
I honestly could’ve never planned where I’m at in my life right now, and I’ve come to terms with that. I might not know where I’m going to end up five or 10 years from now, but I love the direction I’m heading.