Being a writer has always been my passion. Writing my stories from my own thoughts or those shared by others. But, I was always unsure of where this path would ultimately lead me. 

As a little girl, I did not know what or who I would become, so I would pretend to be doctors, nurses, and sometimes chefs. But, as I grew older, I found that writing would fulfill my desire. I didn’t know where that path would take me, I just knew I wanted to express my talent in a way that would bring joy and help to others.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted my junior year at Fleming Island High School.  During such an important time of figuring out what I wanted to do in the world, the world just stopped. 

News about the pandemic, the ongoing protests, and the political discourse that was happening at the time filled my screen every time I flipped the channel. And that’s when it occurred to me not just how important “news” was but also how important it is to share it. 

Without sharing news, we would know nothing about what is happening around us and what people are experiencing. We would just be stuck in our mindset, clueless about the truth and what’s going on.

And, in that moment I realized that my talent in writing could lead me to bigger places. That’s when my passion became a reality. I now knew what I wanted to be in life - a journalist.

When the time came to apply for colleges, I wasted no time researching and finding schools that would feed my newfound reality. I applied to numerous colleges that year and the University of Central Florida became my top choice in an instant. With its impressive journalism program and close proximity to my sister and Disney World (my second home), it was the perfect choice. 

As a result of my hard work, a culmination of all the dual enrollment courses, AP classes, and honors courses I took during my high school years, and the great teachers within Clay County, I graduated magna cum laude from Fleming Island High in the spring of 2021.

Starting in the fall of 2021, I began my quest to become a true journalist. During my first semester as a freshman I was one of only 20 students accepted into the limited print/digital program in UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media.

Easing through my time in the program, I began looking for internships in my second year. As the end of my journey at UCF was quickly approaching, obtaining an internship was essential to me. I reached out to Clay Today and had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Don Coble regarding my interest. Soon, I was offered the intern position, giving me the experience and push to put my skills to the test. 

I was welcomed with open arms and very fortunate to have been able to write for a publication that took pride in each article to keep our county informed. Everything I had learned came down to this moment.

 As nervous as I could be on my first day, I quickly got the hang of it. Using all my abilities and knowledge from the numerous journalism courses I had taken at UCF, the process was familiar and easy.

During my short summer at the paper, I wrote 34 stories for the Clay Today newspaper. From the moment I walked through the door, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in my community. And that I did. 

Working on those articles and conducting numerous interviews, I spoke to amazing people with great stories to tell. From out-of-the-box stories, such as a woman’s cremation jewelry business, to heartfelt ones like that of a woman and her family’s inspiring emergence from homelessness, I told a lot of stories that otherwise would have never been heard.

Near the end of my internship, my eyes lit up with joy when I was offered a full-time time job at the paper. My passion has become such a huge part of my life and my career. My success during my internship was a direct reflection of what I was capable of accomplishing.

And, in the months following my internship, my success continued. I remained a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, served as the Assistant News Editor for Academics at UCF’s student publication NSM Today, and became a proud early graduate of the class of 2024. 

And, now, here I am, with my journey and my story just beginning.

Just one year after my internship, I’m proud to say that I will be working alongside a wonderful newspaper team in a community that I have grown up in and love. 

As I am back and ready to work, I look back on all that I have learned and look forward to all that I will accomplish. My goal has always been to help people and give back to the community that I was raised in. And what better way to give back to the community where I’m from than by sharing and uplifting your stories that deserve to be heard?