Into the limelight.
Portfolio for Texas High School Journalist of the Year
It was already May.
And there we were — knee-deep in the production of our “Rookie” paper. Everyone on staff had new job descriptions to fulfill and new pressures to contend with.
And there I was — the newly named editor-in-chief of The ReMarker, sitting at the helm of our Harkness table and reading a first draft of our cover story. I took note of a few significant details:
A fourth of Upper School students missed the community service hour deadline.
Austin Street Shelter is building a new facility to help the homeless in downtown Dallas.
Administrators discuss the importance of incorporating service into one’s life.
The copy was succinct, and its biggest strength was timeliness. But as a reader, the story left me disinterested. As an editor, I knew we were missing that ‘wow’ factor.
I sat down with my managing editors in our office-cave.
“Guys, I can’t help but feel bored reading this,” I said. “Our goal is to call students to action, but we haven’t given community members any inspiration. Why should people even care?”
Two days later,
my managing editor, Morgan Chow, and I drove to Austin Street Center. To truly understand the impact a new facility would have on the community, I felt we needed to immerse ourselves in this Dallas service hub. As we passed out food to homeless clients, we met U.S. Army veteran Eddie Buster…
He’s the reason people should care.
He lived in a tent under a downtown Dallas bridge for months. Some days, he’d eat. Other days, he’d have no such luck. Some days, he’d wake up drenched in sweat. Other days, he’d shiver all night and wake up to see his fingers and toes colored a shade of blue — he bore the brunt of Texas’ unpredictable climate. I shuddered at the thought, finding it difficult to imagine living through those hardships.
Austin Street Shelter saved him. It gave Eddie a safe place to sleep, three meals a day and a path to get his life in order, and we met him just two weeks before he planned to leave the shelter after a year and a half and head to an apartment.
His story touched my heart. As journalists, it’s our duty to seek out storytellers like Eddie and bring them to the forefront. They carry distinct experiences that need to be heard, and their discourse can completely transform the way an article is received by the public.
My biggest strength as a journalist is personal connection — with the stories I’m writing, the sources I’m interviewing and the companions I’m working with. I’m naturally a congenial person. People feel safe talking with me, meanwhile I’m not afraid to pose the tough questions. Thought-provoking conversations have culminated in some of the most important, hard-hitting stories I’ve written.
Last December,
I sat down with third grade instructor Tracey Pugh, who had half of her face burned off when a drunk driver crashed into her. She was in high school at the time, and her life was ripped apart — she’s been rebuilding it ever since, prioritizing being grateful and living in the moment. I was compelled to ask her extremely sensitive questions as I documented her journey from near-death to renewal.
Like with Eddie, it was hard for me to put myself in her shoes — but I tried. I thought back to the time my 14-year-old cousin — basically a sister to me — was hit and killed by a falling tree while on vacation in Costa Rica. As I wrote Ms. Pugh’s story, I recalled the emotions I felt as efforts were made to fill the gaping hole left in our family — as we sought our own version of renewal. In every piece I’ve done, I’ve attempted to empathize by relating a past experience. I’ve found that personal connection brings stories to life.
The people I’ve met and the perspectives I’ve heard have crafted me into a person I wouldn’t recognize four years ago. From Eddie, I learned that there’s always a way back — relying on one’s community is imperative. From Ms. Pugh, I uncovered a harsh reality: one impulsive decision can have a ripple effect. Every perspective has immeasurable value and carries a trinket of knowledge that is often crucial in shaping our world. All viewpoints should have a place at the table, especially in these ever-polarizing times. As a journalist, it’s been my mission to bring each and every one of these perspectives into the limelight.
As you scroll through this portfolio, I hope you’ll get a sense of how these people — these perspectives — have impacted me as a journalist, and the world at large.
