I used to think I wanted to write novels, and journalism was just going to be the thing I got a regular paycheck from. Then I started reporting and found what I was actually supposed to be doing.

When I was in high school feeling the pressure of deciding what I wanted to do with my life, I just picked what I thought was kind of cool. I started by wanting to be a neuroscientist my freshman year. A couple problems with that: I am terrible at memorizing, and I don’t want to have someone’s life in my hands.

Then I thought I would be a forensic scientist. Soon, I realized I need to be far away from science and do something with writing. That’s how I landed on novels, which I now realize are something maybe in my future, but I found that I get much more enjoyment working in news.

I knew I wanted to write about crime mostly because of morbid curiosity. The idea to do the whole news thing came from the book the Red Dragon, which ironically includes a sensationalizing, unethical reporter.

I looked to the back of the book and saw the author Thomas Harris was briefly a crime reporter, and I thought I could probably do that. So I started writing for my high school newspaper, The Talon, which obviously is where I produced my most valuable clips such as “Grounds crew prepares for winter conditions” or “Crack down on hall passes fixes problem at hand.”

Groundbreaking stuff.

Even though the stories weren’t exciting in any way and came with my very little knowledge of industry standards, I knew I was onto something. Then I came to Iowa State and started writing for the Daily the week before classes started. The semester proved this was the world I wanted to fully immerse myself in.

There is something really great about talking to someone about what matters most to them. Also, as a journalist, you get to be absorbed in your community constantly. I genuinely can’t see myself doing anything else.

After working as a cops reporter for a semester, I then became the politics and administration editor. Now, I am managing editor of print. I have spent many late nights in this newsroom, and news and deadlines come with their own stress, but every time we put out a good paper or I write a story I am really proud of or feel that rush of breaking news, I know it is all worth it.