Personal Narrative

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

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The first time I heard the quote by Maya Angelou, I underestimated the impact it would have on me. This quote applies to everything in my life, but perhaps nothing more than journalism. I have always worked to have a positive impact on the people around me, but transferring schools during my sophomore year of high school made it difficult for me to feel like I fit in my new environment. However, the staff of The Blueprint welcomed me with open arms, and I dove into our program headfirst.

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I was on the staff of my previous school’s newspaper as co-editor, but The Blueprint’s layout both in print and online was incredibly different and foreign to me. With the help of editors, I quickly became accustomed to our rigorous schedule and comfortable talking to anyone on campus, from a quiet freshman to our outgoing principal. Outside of newspaper, I joined club after club, including Girl Up, my school’s chapter of a United Nations organization focused on gender justice, and quickly began to know most faces on campus, and my identity quickly shifted from the “new girl” who didn’t recognize anyone, to the “one who knows everyone.” I loved it. In becoming an upperclassman, being a friendly face on campus is something that has been extremely important to me, and journalism is the most impactful way I've been able to do that.

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Last school year, our staff struggled with our numbers, but we were able to execute high-quality print issues and stories on our website, earning an online Pacemaker and print Pacemaker Finalist, and Sunshine Standout for the second year in a row for our website. But my favorite accomplishment is that I’ve been able to grow our staff to 20. With that many new staffers, I sometimes feel spread thin, but I see the potential in all of them, and remember how I felt when joining a new staff, which motivates me to make sure I’m giving them the tools for success. Being able to make my mark by creating connections is my favorite part of it all—whether that be between my staff members and I, as well as with the people and communities I interview during stories, being able to connect with people is what journalism is all about.   

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Not everything with running The Blueprint has always gone perfectly as planned, but interning with the Harvard Crimson over the summer really reinforced the idea that the beautiful beauty of journalism is that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. When I ventured through Central Cambridge into Boston for interviews, I got 10 no's for every yes, and 10 half-hearted answers for every quote-worthy one—and that's okay. Being a reporter has shown me that uncomfortable and less-than-ideal situations are a huge, scary part of life; however, these encounters aren’t limited to the context of journalism or even high school. I’ve learned to push myself to find the heart of a story and continue to try, even when it seems like I’ve hit a dead end. 

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While I enjoy being the face of our publication as editor, it’s really not all about me. I love training my staffers to be successful, which may involve some tough love when necessary, and then stepping back to let their articles be a testament not only to my hard work as a leader but also to how we collaborate as a team. Working my way up to editor-in-chief has allowed me to get even better at thinking on my feet, and it allows me to encourage others to see that the process supersedes the outcome. 

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In the fall, I will attend Yale University as a Political Science major and Human Rights minor, and I hope to join the Yale Daily News. While the thought of being at a college in a new state far away from home is daunting, I constantly remind myself that I should embrace the opportunity to create lasting connections and continue to lift people up with my work. I am excited to take advantage of moments that would once be fear-inducing with an understanding that I will be better because of them.