My first year at the Torch has been nothing short of everything I wanted it to be. My only regret is that I did not start being involved with the school newspaper sooner. I feel very blessed to have made new friends who teach me something new every week, and share a passion of mine.
As a junior, I began as a staff writer obtaining internship credit for my journalism minor. In October, I was able to attend the Associated College Press National College Media Convention with the Torch editors. We traveled to Washington, D.C., where we explored the city streets and learned a lot about how to better our paper – an opportunity I will never forget.
Upon returning with a lot of ideas for the Torch, I somehow became even more excited about being a part of such a wonderful organization. Since then, I’ve seen the number of writers grow and interest in stories increase. I continue to be optimistic about the future of the paper as the days go on.
In January, I was promoted from staff writer to senior writer, and began my new position as Web Editor. This editor position was an idea we all had in D.C. As a marketing major with journalism and communication minors, I’m very happy I get to revamp the paper’s social media presence, along with posting stories on the website. I hope to continue to stay involved in these aspects of the Torch next year, and possibly add an Instagram account for our millennial student body to connect with.
My advice to anyone who is thinking about joining the Torch staff is: do it. And my advice to anyone who hasn’t considered joining the Torch staff is: you should do it, too. Being involved in your college newspaper is something that allows you to grow regardless of whether your majors or minors have anything to do with writing.
As Jessica Hamm’s time winds down as editor and chief, I’d like to thank her for all her hard work (and lack of sleep). I am very eager to see what my senior year of working fo will bring.
