I am proud and a little teary to be ending my time at Oglethorpe University and “The Stormy Petrel” student newspaper. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my experience and how journalism has shaped my college career.

My interest in journalism began in my sophomore year when I took “Intro to Newswriting” with Dr. Kate Keib. What was initially a writing requirement option for my major became a newfound, unexpected passion. I loved the puzzle aspect of writing a news article: interviewing subjects, doing research, finding background context, and how to put it all together in a way that makes the most sense and gives the reader the information they need.

At that time, there was only one person running the publication: my good friend, Fynn Grindle ’25. In my junior year, I joined the team as co-editor to make it a duo effort. In my senior year, I became editor-in-chief and built a team of four. Now, as I graduate, I am proud to say that the 2026-2027 executive board will include six students — a record high that I hope indicates a growing interest for journalism on campus.

I began my off-campus journalism journey with The Society of Professional Journalists Georgia (SPJ) chapter, a nonprofit dedicated to upholding ethical journalism, promoting media literacy, and supporting and educating local journalists. At the end of my junior year, I was elected secretary, and being a part of this organization has given me a great passion for journalism ethics. (I cheered watching “Superman” (2025) when Lois pointed out the ethical problem of Clark interviewing himself as Superman. Before you ask, yes, I’m a nerd). This continuously helps me spot poorly-written pieces, sensational headlines, bias, and articles meant to divide and inflame. That’s not what journalism is about. It’s about informing and uplifting.

Thus began my passion for human interest stories and features. I’ve interviewed some of my favorite bands. I’ve gotten into fan conventions for free as a member of the press and talked to indie vendors and artists. I even interviewed a prominent voice actor from “Baldur’s Gate 3,” one of the most awarded video games of all time (and my favorite). It was through these experiences that I learned that journalism can be fun. And I realized that maybe I wanted to do it professionally.

But early in my senior year, I hit a major road bump. I had secured my first professional journalism internship with a magazine, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Poor communication from staff, changes in pay agreements, and a complete 180 of my role made me debate walking away from the internship, which is usually a big early career no-no. But after a meeting with Dr. Keib and being reassured that the situation was unusual, I went against everything in my nature and quit the internship — mere weeks after it began.

During this meeting, I asked Dr. Keib if she had any journalism contacts she could reach out to to see if anyone was looking for a student intern. This ended up being the folks at Rough Draft Atlanta, a hyper-local news outlet.

Weeks later, I had an interview scheduled, and in January, I became Rough Draft’s newest editorial intern. It turned out that quitting my previous internship was the best decision I could have made.

The entire team is endlessly supportive, and they welcomed me into the tight-knit reporter family so easily. I was surrounded by incredible mentors who trusted me. I was free to learn, to make mistakes, and to grow, all the while knowing that this team had my back. As a young professional, this experience was truly life-changing; being trusted by experts in the field helped me learn to trust myself.

Two months into my internship, I was entrusted with writing the cover story for the March edition of Rough Draft’s Atlanta Intown paper on the Atlanta History Center’s 100th anniversary. I was thrilled. Seeing my byline in print for the first time was a really special moment.

My time with Rough Draft has been filled with similar special moments. One of the best experiences I had was interviewing a favorite artist of mine, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham — and going to her concert for free!

It was totally divine intervention. Music journalism is a big passion of mine. I had long planned to pitch covering her concert at the Variety Playhouse in March (it was even in my “ideas to pitch” note on my phone when I was at my other internship). Before I got the chance to, though, one of my co-workers messaged in the Slack channel that Madison’s publicist had reached out and asked if anyone at the publication was interested in covering the concert. I IMMEDIATELY volunteered and was given the story without question.

I knew I was capable of writing a great concert review. Amidst my email exchanges with the publicist, I got one very special message: “Let me know if you’re interested in speaking with Madi before the show!”

AM I INTERESTED???

I hope I seemed very calm and collected in my reply because in reality, I was shaking and texting my friends that I was going to interview Madison Cunningham!

I would have NEVER felt ready to interview an artist as popular as she is if it hadn’t been for my music journalism experience with “The Stormy Petrel.” I’m grateful to Hotel Fiction, Starbenders, Ace Monroe, David Brighton, and Devin Shamel for not only reading an email from a young student journalist at a tiny publication asking for an interview, but also agreeing and generously giving their time to help me get the reps and experience I needed. (The “most generous award” goes to Brighton, a David Bowie impersonator; get two Bowie fans on the phone together and a “quick interview” turns into a 45-minute conversation about the Starman himself. You can read our geek-out for yourself here.)

My Zoom interview with Madison Cunningham was nerve-wracking, but I was prepared. She told me at the end that my questions were “beautiful.” Then came the easy part: the concert. You can read the full article in Rough Draft here.

Over the course of my spring internship at Rough Draft I wrote 18 articles on a wide variety of topics. I wrote about an abandoned crane in Midtown, Atlanta’s longest-running no-kill animal shelter’s 60th anniversary, various Atlanta festivities, and I even got assigned to cover Oglethorpe’s student film festival. Getting to highlight my university at an internship that Oglethorpe helped me get felt very full-circle. You can find my Rough Draft author archive here.

As the semester winds down and graduation approaches, I’m feeling more and more grateful for Oglethorpe every day. I have learned so much and built great relationships with my professors that I hope will last beyond commencement. I can’t imagine spending these four years of undergrad anywhere else. I’m excited to see what the future holds, and I know that “The Stormy Petrel” and Oglethorpe will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Congratulations to the 2026-2027 editor-in-chief: Isabella Fonseca. I know “The Stormy Petrel” is in good hands with you, and I’m so excited to see how it will grow.

My advice to aspiring journalists: Be the youngest person in the room. Read news. Seek out stories. Find what YOU love about journalism. And, of course, join “The Stormy Petrel!”

My advice to Oglethorpe students: Ask for help. Your professors are here for you. Shoot your shot. Don’t be afraid to walk away if your heart tells you you’re in the wrong place. Odds are, you’ll find the right one. Don’t let these four years pass you by — get experience, get involved. Take advantage of your student status — people WANT to help you and lift you up. Lastly, don’t stress. Listen to “Vienna” by Billy Joel. What is meant for you won’t miss you.  

“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” – Gordon B. Hinckley