Finding my passion and the truth
Four years ago, I randomly applied to be a staff member of Drops of Ink as I was looking for something to do in high school. Little did I know how much doing this would change my life. Joining DOI is undoubtedly the best decision I have made in my high school career.
As a four-year staff member, not only have I watched the publication grow, but I myself have grown with the publication. When I first joined DOI, much of our focus was on stories such as “What’s Trending,” “What’s Happening” and what Christmas presents to buy people (and yes, I’ll embarrassedly admit, I wrote that). These stories, while entertaining to some of our readership, sure, had little to no impact on our community as a whole. One of the most important things I have learned and seen firsthand from my time of staff is the impact that journalism can, and should, have on people’s’ lives. With that being said, it has been my goal all four years to report on more impactful stories.
What has been most impactful though, to me, has been the ability to see and experience the impact that journalism is able to have on this community and this world. In telling others’ stories and in turn sharing different perspectives, ideas and experiences, I have found that there is so much to learn from every single individual that I pass every day. Through writing stories, editing assignments, conducting interviews and taking photos, I have found my passion for storytelling, which I never would have known without joining DOI.
Journalism, in my opinion, is something that gets little recognition for its importance. Every news network, every newspaper, every news website — they all exist in order to inform people. They are in charge of pushing out news to the masses. And while Drops of Ink certainly does not have the readership of The New York Times, we are constantly striving to inform our audience of pertinent, important topics. So much work goes into journalism — late nights, countless interviews, editing stories, taking photos, covering events — and it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. It is a great honor that I get to tell others’ stories and allow people to learn from those stories.
With all of this being said, I have found one aspect of journalism that is more important than anything: the truth. The truth can be hard to chase and at times impossible to find. However, there are people — real, living, breathing people — on the other side of the truth that tirelessly aim to find it and tell it.
And, in every sense of the word, I am proud to be one of those people. Every day, I aim to give a voice to those in my community who may not otherwise have one and allow their perspectives to tell the truth. Every day, I ask myself: What story can I tell today? What can I reveal? What perspective can I give? How can I use my voice to give volume to someone else?
Without my work on Drops of Ink, I never would have learned that I can use my voice to tell the truth, but now, it’s something I aim for every day. In the future, I hope to study journalism at a four-year university, and while I’m uncertain of the places I’ll go, there is one thing I know: the truth is constantly moving. It has no set, final destination.
And thanks to my time spent on Drops of Ink, I’ve found the passion to say that I’ll never stop chasing it.