The first time I heard about the school newspaper, I was 10. My sister talked about how much she liked writing in it. I didn’t care at all about it, probably because I thought that high school was so far away or because my sister talks so much that I just didn’t bother listening. The next time was when I was signing up for classes at the end of eighth grade, and I was begging my sister and parents to not make me take the class.

I remember the first time I ever walked into the class. It was my first period of high school, and it was the same room that I sat in for the next four years. I was so nervous that I was sweating and I thought I had walked into the wrong room at first because everyone looked so much older than me. Thank God I didn’t ask, though, because that would have been embarrassing.

I didn’t think at the time that I would be an editor for three years and co-executive editor for two. I didn’t think that I would come to love writing so much (and would talk about it so much) that some people refer to me as my column name (that Varun came up with). I also didn’t think that I would learn to have more of a voice because of the opportunities that journalism has brought me like being able to interview so many different people about their stories, participating in competitions, and even meeting people like Mary Beth Tinker that have brought so much impact to my life and the country.

My journalism teacher, Mrs. Smith, has been my favorite teacher for the past four years and has supported the staff and me through everything. She is one of the kindest people I have met, and I’m glad that I was able to talk to her about my ideas for the newspaper, and she was always open to talk to people about things going on in our lives.

As I finish my senior year, I am able to reflect back on everything I was able to do for the paper. I wrote serious stories (like me getting hacked on Instagram) and some dumb stories (like my obsession with the Shamrock Shake). I am happy that I was able to get out of my comfort zone and be able to talk about how I actually feel and be able to share it with the school.

I’m glad that I found out that I loved journalism. If my parents had let me take whatever elective I wanted that night instead of journalism, I don’t know what I would have been doing now, but I probably would not have been as happy or as successful in whatever I was doing. I’m happy that I didn’t let my fear control me and instead faced my fears. This is something that I have been struggling to do my whole life, but journalism has been able to teach me that it’s important to stand up and say what you believe, even if it might not be the most popular opinion.