Why Journalism?
The job is time-consuming, stressful, and puts one under constant scrutiny. Journalists' jobs are far from glamorous, so why would a young student even consider that as a career path?
Why choose to major in journalism? For me, the answer is quite simple; to provide a public service. From a very young age, I have always been engulfed in community service. It was something that my parents strived for us (my siblings and I) to understand and appreciate. They always made sure to keep us involved in service opportunities. This was probably the biggest factor for me when choosing to major in journalism.
Additionally, as I got older and found where my academic strengths were, I discovered that I really enjoyed writing. It was something that I was always told that I had a knack for. It was my freshman year of high school when I participated in a mock trial and it was pure bliss. The type of writing we had to complete for the mock trial was exactly what I wanted as it was all professional journalistic style writing. It was then that I knew this was the career I wanted.
The final factor that led to my decision to major in journalism was the exposure I had to political situations early on in my life. My mother was a communications major with a focus on political science. After she graduated from college, she worked on presidential campaigns and for Meet The Press. Ever since I was little, she made a strong effort to make sure that we had a solid understanding of our country and government. I remember always being so fascinated by this and I think that childhood curiosity still sticks with me.
With these things combined, I concluded that journalism was the path for me. My goal is to one day be an investigative reporter, as they offer society an incredible service by reporting important information on issues and events in our country. I feel that this specific field of journalism incorporates everything I want in my career; public service, writing, and law.
Throughout high school and now into college, I have had people discourage me from this field. They warn me of the cons and pressure that come with being a journalist. 
Even though this job is not glamorous, I know it's what I want. I would much rather have a fulfilling and challenging career where I get to write, report, and serve others rather than a boring 9-5 that is just as stressful and challenging in a career field I would resent. The 'negative' aspects of the journalism field wither away when I focus on the good and rewarding parts of the career, and that's how I know this is what I want to do with my life.
Why This Class?
Why am I in this class? Never Stay Silent is a journalism class that explores the history, inner works, and importance of journalism in our democracy. While this class is required for all journalism majors, I see it as much more than just a class to check off of my schedule.
This class is giving me the opportunity to dig deeper into the history and importance behind my intended career path. I find this extremely valuable because not many people going into a field get as deep of an understanding of the past as this. I also think it is important to take this class to also learn from the past and to see how journalism has changed in our country.
I think that taking this class as a freshman is also a great advantage because I can enhance my later studies in journalism with the foundation this class offers. This class also offers preparation for journalistic style writing and posts through the blog. I think this is another valuable aspect of the class, as it allows students to become accustomed to the kind of writing journalists do. It also is great to be able to get this practice in a classroom setting.
Through this class, I hope to not only gain a better understanding of the history of journalism and improve my writing but also a deeper appreciation for the field. I'm looking forward to the rest of this class and learning about the history and importance of journalism in our country.
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