Before joining The Reflector, I was a professional writing major. It never felt like the right fit for me, so I took a communication class my sophomore year. It felt fresh and exciting and I officially changed my major for my junior year. I joined The Reflector that first semester and stayed until my graduation this past December.
During those three semesters, I was a staff writer, editorial assistant and then the entertainment editor. Each job came with its own sets of challenges and obstacles but it was all worth it in the end. Working on The Reflector reinvigorated my need and want to learn and grow. Journalism was not on my radar in the slightest when I got to college, but it taught me that writing is something that is important to me.
The Reflector really changed the college experience for me. It made school exciting again and it also gave me some of the best friends I could ever ask for. Throughout it all, everyone was there for each other. Whether a story fell through, sources were not getting back, or everything was just piling up, there was always someone to help. This is one of the greatest groups of people I have ever found. Even after graduating a semester early, most of the staff kept in contact and we are still great friends.
One of my favorite (and least favorite) memories is our 11 hour production during the fall semester this year. Everything went wrong before, during and after, but it was somehow one of the most fun nights with the staff. We all got into a delirious state of mind and everything was hilarious. We came up with insane prompts for ChatGPT to pass the time while others were working. It is still one of my fondest and most hated memories from college.
So far in my post-graduation state, I moved back to Fort Wayne to be with family and am in between jobs at the moment. The plan is to move back to Indianapolis around June with The Reflector’s very own art director (and visual wizard) Breanna Emmett and work towards my career in journalism. Finally, I would like to thank The Reflector for all the wonderful things it has given me. It taught me that I truly love to listen to people’s stories and write about them. Most importantly, it gave me some of my favorite people and memories. I definitely would not have made it through college without The Reflector and the people it gave me.
