Becoming a journalist wasn't on my bucket list walking into high school. I've been a writer all my life, writing my own stories at the age of seven and eventually writing my own 261 page fanfiction in seventh grade. In other words, I enjoyed creative writing.

 

As I was looking for an elective at the start of my freshman year at high school, I was looking for a creative writing class to take, but all they had to offer was a journalism class. I then took the introductory class for my freshman year, learning about how to construct an interview to covering different types of events. When my sophomore year started, I was officially a staff writer for El Estoque.

 

One of the things I've learned is that journalism is hard. When you get behind the deadlines, it's almost impossible to catch up. We have to constantly stay on top of our work, constructing interviews --- where many people may not show up --- and making countless rounds of edits to sometimes find out that you need to go all the way back to the very start.

 

And to this day, it's exhausting. There have been many days, and I mean many, where I have wondered if I should drop El Estoque. There have been many moments where I've cried over how much I have to do, and how it feels like not matter how much work I put in everyone else is succeeding and being successful.

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But despite how hard it is, and how challenging El Estoque can get, I'm sticking through. Nothing can beat the feeling of seeing your story on the magazine or on the website, seeing your name under the deck. And that feeling is one of the best feelings ever.

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Best,