Biography

Unlike many high school students, I knew early on my senior year I wanted to attend the University of Tennessee. Growing up in Knoxville, I was familiar with the UT College of Journalism . My main strengths in high school were English, writing and reading comprehension. Naturally, I wanted to study something I could both excel in and enjoy.

My biggest fear in life is wasting a day doing something that I am not passionate about. I never struggled with “what do I want to be when I grow up” because writing is as natural to me as breathing. It has been a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I know my true passion is writing and on the other hand, I have no idea where I want it to take me. One minute I want to go into television production, the next I want to write for a newspaper. Recently, I adopted an obsession with magazine writing. My energy for writing is scattered to say the least.

I am currently a junior enrolled in the College of Journalism/Electronic Media under the news track at UT. I have just started to dip into the major and most surprisingly, my online journalism class has been the most challenging courses I have taken. Typically, I am scared to show my creative side for fear of failure or rejection. I faced that fear when I created a photo slideshow of pictures from my part time job at a sushi restaurant in Knoxville. It was encouraging to be praised for the creative thought I put into the assignment.

Aside from writing, I am involved in UT’s local radio WUTK 90.3 The Rock . I had my first on-air news briefing today. While it seems trivial, it was a huge milestone for me. I never thought I would have the courage to speak during a live news broadcast. So often, we become complacent with whatever is “good enough,” but I want to challenge myself to ask the unexpected, try the unusual and learn the extraordinary.