Why did you get into this industry?

From a young age, I always loved and was obsessed with storytelling, whether that be through writing, movies or video games. I have always enjoyed reading and telling stories, and I was really good at writing growing up (I was one of the kids who finished with the highest grades in English). When college came around, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. This was around when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, so a lot of times I was in my dorm indulging myself in the media. This is when I really started to pay attention to the news, sports and generally what was happening around me, and I became fascinated with how the media industry worked. After the school year when I was home for the summer, I decided that I didn't want to pain myself studying a major I didn't want and end up in a job I know I wouldn't like or want to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to do something that would have an impact in some way, and I believed the best way to do that was through storytelling. The next school year, I applied for the sports section at my school's newspaper, and that's how everything got started for me.

What's your newspaper/journalism journey to today?

It started off kind of slow because when I joined my school newspaper, I was still figuring out what I was doing. I was also kind of at the bottom of the totem pole, so all the major headliner sports like football and basketball were being covered mostly by people who were there longer and had more experience covering those sports. I started covering smaller sports events like softball, soccer and baseball to an extent, but there are are a lot of different routes and possibilities you can go, so I wanted to get as much experience as possible. I started working for the broadcasting department at my school as a cameraman for event they showed on SEC Network, and I eventually worked my way up at my school's newspaper and was able to do a lot of sports and news articles that I am still very proud of today, eventually sweeping the sports section at our paper's end-of-year awards banquet. I eventually started doing morning sports recaps for the radio station on my school's campus. Even after graduation, I started covering high school football here before finding my way to Foley where I now write for Gulf Coast Media.

What's something you've learned in the process?

I quickly learned that newswriting and journalism is a lot more than just writing down what's in your head and hitting the publish button. To be a great journalist, you have to actually go underneath the surface to find the issues and topics that are affecting people and society while telling it in a concise and accurate manner. It isn't going to be perfect either. You are going to miss deadlines. You are going to show up at the wrong location. People are not going to want to talk to you, or people will be jerks. You are going to make spelling or grammar mistakes you won't realize until people start calling you a moron on Twitter. You are going to make mistakes, and there are going to be hiccups. It is unavoidable in any job. What makes you stand out from other journalists and writers is how you respond to adversity and how you ultimately spread your voice and the news through it. Yes, being the first person to report a huge scoop is cool and all, but being accurate while also not letting adversity get in the way of your story or voice is better.

How has working at a newspaper changed you?

It has helped me in many different ways. I got to meet people and go to places that I would never thought I would, and it has opened my mind to how people think and communicate in our world. It has also helped me on a personal level. Having grown up with social anxiety, it has helped me step out of my comfort zone and put me out there, and through journalism and writing, I am really glad about where I am today on a personal and emotional level compared to five or six years ago.

What's something you wish more people knew about your role or newspapers in general?

I touched on this a little, but people need to remember that journalists are human, too. They are going to make mistakes like everyone else, so please bear through with them. Also, I kind of disagree with the increasing notion that most media nowadays are clickbait or highly sensationalized. Yes, there is a lot of that type of news, but it also overshadows the genuine journalism that goes unnoticed every day. I think people need to better educate themselves about the news sphere and understand what goes on in a newsroom because there is a lot of really good journalism that no one pays attention to, and we need to start brining that journalism to the forefront if we want to change people's perceptions of the media.

What's something completely non-newspaper related about yourself?

Outside of the newsroom I have a bunch of hobbies. I like to hike and go outdoors, having recently conquered Mount Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado, over the summer. Outside of that, I play guitar, collect vinyl records and have a respectable sports card and autograph collection, some of my favorites include Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs and Fletcher Cox.