To say I had dreams of becoming a student journalist would be a lie. I had zero interest in writing or even picking up a pencil to write my name on a test. Sometimes, I think about how I ended up writing for the school newspaper and I cannot believe how it happened, but writing my last article as a senior will hopefully answer some of questions I have for myself. So, I should start from the beginning, then fast forward to the present time, then back one year, and then back to the beginning — kind of like a Quentin Tarantino movie. Stick with me.
Photo courtesy of Xander Serrano/The Daily Campus
Since nobody is curious, I began my college career at the University of Connecticut Waterbury campus — never heard of it? It’s okay, because neither did I until I took my Infiniti G37x down Waterbury’s main street to walk into my first general education class. I commuted to the Waterbury campus during the spring semester, eager to make it up to Storrs if I maintained a good GPA. Once I did, my family helped me move into a dormitory in the Northwest quad.
It was a unique experience, to say the least, for a freshman in 2020. There were COVID-19 restrictions, and all classes were online. Although I spoke to everyone in my class, I felt isolated. I made friends with people on my floor with whom I still keep in contact today, but it was not the typical introduction to the “college experience.” Like any first-year student, I was immature and made mistakes, but I managed to make it through.
Come sophomore year, I was ready to return to school and a sense of normalcy after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted — things around campus felt alive. I made some new friends, made more mistakes and did not know who I was or what I wanted to do with my life. I couldn’t do a math problem to save my life, so a career in finance was ruled out. I was never good at making paper airplanes as a kid, so a job in engineering was out. That fall was a blur after being caught up in the fun and freedom that college is, and I opened my eyes to realize I was almost a junior with no plan. It wasn’t until one day at the Recreation Center’s basketball court that my life changed.
As I drained my 10th three-pointer in a row, another kid joined in the shootaround, so he and I got to talking, and I found out he was a writer for The Daily Campus’ Sports section. I didn’t even know what The Daily Campus was, but I liked the idea that students were given the freedom to write stories on their own and have them published. Having been a part of zero extracurricular activities up to this point and getting yelled at by parents over those painful yet loving Monday night phone calls, asking, “Well, what do you want to do?” I finally had something to tell them about that I felt proud of and that they approved of.
At the first Daily Campus meeting I attended, I immediately picked an article on the budget for the UConn golf team. Having no idea how to write an article or how to write about golf, I continued to write articles for the Sports section before I decided to switch to the Life section, where I was able to write about movies, television shows and music.
I learned how to write movie reviews, incorporate humor and wit into my writing and find my voice. I am forever grateful for joining The Daily Campus and how much of a positive influence it has had on my writing, learning about the process of journalism and also making me a better student. For anyone who wants to have a career in creative writing or journalism, or just enjoys creating work of their own, The Daily Campus is a great place to start. Now, as I move on to pursue my MFA in creative writing, concentrating on writing for stage and screen at Fairfield University, I found my way to this point thanks to the The Daily Campus.