Fall of 2020 was a weird time to start college. The initial shock of the pandemic had passed, but we were still in the thick of it — and I was left to open a new chapter of my life. My days were spent in my dorm room in White Hall attending classes online. This was certainly not the college experience I had imagined. 

Club rush came around, online of course, and The Appalachian was one of the few organizations that showed up. I didn’t know anything about journalism, but isn’t college the time to try new things? I popped into the Zoom meeting room. By the end of the day, I was The Appalachian’s newest opinion writer and I’m still here, four and a half years later. 

I learned how to be a journalist with every byline I published. I moved up in the ranks, from associate opinion editor to opinion editor to managing editor to community editor. Still, with over 60 bylines published across The Appalachian and other publications, I have never taken a journalism class. Everything I learned was in The Appalachian’s newsroom. 

I not only learned how to be a journalist, but also what it means to be a journalist. The Appalachian has challenged me to consider my responsibility to the public as a member of the press. At its core, journalism is community service. As one of the few print publications in the High Country, The Appalachian is in a unique position. 

As rural journalists and dedicated college students, we serve communities who may not have another source of local news. I am deeply proud of being part of The Appalachian’s mission to ensure free and fair information for its community.  

Every student who joins the organization is motivated by the goals of journalism — truth, accountability, transparency and independence. The people who make up The Appalachian embody these ideals as some of the most hardworking, passionate, driven and inspired individuals I have ever met. I am endlessly amazed, and sometimes a little scared, by the love and commitment my fellow student journalists show for their work and community. 

Looking back on nine semesters, The Appalachian has fundamentally shaped my college experience and changed the trajectory of my life. I spent long hours in the newsroom and even longer ones in Google Docs. I met friends who will be in my life long after graduation. I discovered a passion I didn’t know I had and one that will carry me through the rest of my life.