Thank you to everyone at the Daily Evergreen for giving me a platform to learn about journalism and allowing me to find my voice.

From the minute I entered the newsroom, I was immediately impressed and a little bit intimidated by the staff’s level of professionalism and dedication to news. I got my first taste of this enthusiastic environment last semester as a columnist.

It was an invaluable experience to be a part of the newsroom and observe the proper practices of journalism. I can recall many times I heard editors ask about whether something was fact checked.

In addition to being accurate, I quickly came to admire the persistence reporters in getting information or sources for stories. The commitment to the job, even though it does not pay much, is almost contagious and helped make me into a better journalist.

I quickly learned that I had to hold myself to those same standards, and that it takes a passion for news and storytelling to be in the business. I think there is a sense of pride in ensuring the work is factual.

There is also a feeling of pride knowing my work is going to be published, and The Daily Evergreen audience will read it. I like that all the people I meet get to have their stories shared with the public, which is something that doesn’t happen in a lot of journalism courses at WSU.

Starting out as a columnist, I was assigned to cover Native American topics and issues. As an enrolled member of the Chehalis Tribe, I was honored to fill this role.

And honestly, I was impressed by the fact that the newspaper was making an effort to help bring recognition to an underrepresented and marginalized population.

I used it as a platform to try to explain to people the complexities behind the Native American culture and to bring awareness to issues such as the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. I felt I was able to find the humanity in the stories, and hopefully shed light on those issues.

I ended my time as a columnist after one semester because I saw an opportunity to switch over to the sports side of the newsroom. I have always loved sports, so having the chance to write about Division 1 sports was a blessing.

The one thing that I would have a hard time with was meeting deadline. I always felt like there was something that I could have done better. But it’s those deadlines that have helped me become a better writer.

Deadlines forced me to prepare a lot more before interviews and writing stories. They also helped with being more concise and efficient in gathering information and delivering news.

I met a lot of truly great people who will go far in whatever field of journalism they enter, and I’m just happy to say I was a part of The Daily Evergreen family during my time here.