A senior multimedia journalism major, Alisa Volz, is spreading her wings and graduating from WSU and the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Volz, from Spokane came to WSU for many reasons. Not only is WSU close to home, but all of her siblings are Cougs as well. Volz also chose WSU for Murrow College.

She said she initially did not know what she wanted to do when she came to WSU, however, she had always had an interest in creative writing when she was younger.

“There was a lot of the time that I felt a little lonely and there were times when I felt I couldn’t really be my true self because I’m gay, and when I was younger I did not tell anyone so, I really, really felt isolated sometimes because of that especially. So writing was really a way for me to kind of escape the world,” Volz said. 

Then, when looking into what she wanted to major in when coming to college, she thought that communication was a middle ground for both English and business.

“I wanted to do something really creative and I want to do something where I get to, at least for me personally, where I get to feel like I am making a difference in the world,” she said. 

Tracy Simmons, an associate scholarly professor for Murrow College, who had Volz in many of her classes, said she is very happy to see her pursuing journalism.

“She has really figured out what her focus is,” she said. “She has really zoned in on that and she has a passion for something, you know. She wants to write about sexual abuse and survivors and it’s really cool to see her have figured that out, and I think that’s really an important voice.” 

Volz said she joined the Daily Evergreen in January because she wanted to get good experience in journalistic writing and publishing. 

“For a long time, I was sort of afraid to take the leap of, well, a lot of areas of my life,” she said. “In this scenario, I kind of doubted myself in my own skills, and for a long time I felt like I wasn’t good enough to write for a real publication and not just a class, so that’s why I waited a long time.”

Simmons said she has noticed that since Volz joined the newspaper she has improved in her writing significantly.

“I think her writing has improved,  and I think that’s the whole point of writing for the Evergreen, is you get that,” Simmons said. 

As Volz prepares to leave WSU, one thing she will miss the most is her friends.

“I literally had a nightmare last week about graduating and like, oh my god, me and all of my friends are gonna be separated because we literally see each other every single day. Like almost all day, every day. I’m like, how are we going to function without each other?” she said.

She said one of her main memories with her friends at WSU is one that has been consistent over her time here.

“I mean, this sounds kind of boring or simple but I think the core memory because it’s happened so many times is just my group of friends hanging out in my friend Noel’s apartment, just in her living room. Just being stupid and joking around and laughing and just having fun,” she said. 

Another important memory of Volz from her years being at WSU starts surprisingly when she was a child. 

Growing up, Volz said she always liked watching plays and musicals. 

“I remember when I was younger, I went to Phantom of the Opera when it was touring,” Volz said. “It sort of sparked a huge interest of like, ‘Okay, well, I want to be on that stage.'”

Volz said she first got involved in theater when she was in high school and has been attached to it ever since, even joining the Student Theater Club here at WSU.

Volz was recently in the club’s play called She Kills Monsters in a lead role for the first time ever in her stage career. 

“I was a character that I love so much and I feel like the character was me when I was a little bit younger,” Volz said. “So it was super special to be able to play her.”

While Volz said she does not have a set plan for what she wants to do after college, she does know for a fact she just wants to write and be a journalist.

She said she still, however, does have a goal to be a creative writing author for fun on the side. 

I mean, I like telling all kinds of stories, but I like telling stories that aren’t told very often or that aren’t paid attention to,” she said. “That’s what I’m most passionate about.”