If you had told me four years ago that I would graduate from college as a journalism major, I would never have believed it. Before graduating from high school, I majored in political science at the UConn Waterbury regional campus.
As an 18-year-old heading into freshman year, switching majors did not cross my mind. I even thought my advisor was crazy for saying that it’s common for students to change career paths multiple times. Little did I know that I would end up joining the majority of students.
At the beginning of my freshman spring semester, I fell out of love with politics and knew I needed a change. Sports were a big part of my childhood, as I played soccer and watched just about every NFL game. My dad, Chris, thought I was insane for tracking every match, but I liked staying up-to-date on all the news. This was when I realized I wanted to make a career out of covering sports.
During my sophomore year at Waterbury, I didn’t know about the Daily Campus until I asked a friend in March how to get involved in UConn sports. He suggested I email former Sports Editor Stratton Stave, who welcomed me to the Sports section with open arms.
A few weeks later, before the 2024 NFL draft, the Daily Campus published my first article and I knew this was where I belonged.
Going into my junior year at Storrs, I covered the UConn field hockey team. I could have chosen soccer, which I was most comfortable with, but I wanted to broaden my knowledge of sports.
In the first couple of months, former Sports Editor Connor Sargent and current Editor Bridget Bronsdon returned my articles with a lot of edits. This motivated me to find every way possible to improve. Before accepting the changes, I took pictures of my errors so I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. I even met with both editors one-on-one to refine my writing.
For the rest of my junior year, I focused on developing. Every week, I produced two columns and a beat, which paid off. At the end of the year, Sargent awarded me the 2024-2025 Most Improved Daily Campus Sportswriter of the Year.
Over the 2025 summer break, my drive to strengthen my writing continued. In my free time, I sent Bridget articles not only for feedback, but also to stand out and she made sure my hard work was acknowledged.
Before the 2025 fall semester, I received a Slack message from her and Co-Editor Avery Becker asking if I would be interested in covering the UConn Football team. I remember jumping with excitement at my part-time job and could not wait to get going.
With the assistance of Co-Football Beat Writer Sam Calhoun, my journalism career took off and I can’t thank him enough. Throughout the 2025 season, my confidence as a writer skyrocketed and I wanted more. My next mission was securing the UConn men’s basketball beat, but that got cut short.
Despite not receiving the opportunity to cover the team, this did not stop me. Feeling like the underdog only made me more ambitious. This helped me land an internship with On3, covering the UConn women’s basketball team.
In two years of writing for the Daily Campus, I never got paid, but it was never about making money; it was about the experience. One thing I know for sure is that none of this would be possible without the support of my mom and Chris.
Mom, I can’t thank you enough for trusting and believing in me every step of the way. From the start, you were the one who took the time to read my articles and post my accomplishments on Facebook. It may not seem like I always care, but it means the world to me knowing that I have you in my corner.
As for you, Chris, thank you for pushing me past my limits and yelling at me to connect and get involved. If it wasn’t for you grilling me to not kick the can down the road, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now.
I also want to thank Sports Editor Bridget Bronsdon, future Editor Avery Becker, future Co-Editor Jake McCreven and former Editor Connor Sargent. I can’t thank them enough for always answering my questions and helping me sharpen my writing.
As my four-year UConn journey ends, this is just the beginning and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me.
“Dream. Plan. Hustle. Repeat.” – Mark Wahlberg