Choosing journalism wasn’t an impulsive decision I made on a whim. I chose this particular field of study because it’s what interests me, it holds my attention, it’s constantly changing and it’s my passion. For me, writing is a way to express a wealth of emotions, thoughts, ideas or opinions that may be too complicated to convey any other way. Writing is an outlet that allows everyone to have their own unique and beautiful voice. Two people can receive the same story assignment and find 15 different ways, each, to approach the task from several different angles.

There’s no cookie cutter, copy and paste way to write. There are guidelines but no set of rules restricting the thoughts, words or structure implemented in any particular piece.

When I tell people that I’m studying journalism it amazes me how quick some are to inform me that it’s a “dying field.” As if they don’t watch the news, use Twitter, read articles or stay up to date in current events through some type of source. It actually makes me smile and chuckle a little bit when I hear those words, simply because most people associate journalism with newspapers. Unfortunately, as much as myself and so many other journalists wish we could change the fact that newspapers are being fazed out, journalism is so much more than articles in a newspaper.

So, to answer the never ending question of “why would you choose a field of study that won’t get you a job?” It’s what I love. I’m here to be a voice to the voiceless. I’m here to inform and enlighten. I do this because it’s an outlet that allows me to express myself, just as an artist or a musician would do, just in a different form. I’m here to travel the world and see, first hand, the current events that I read about every day.

Yes, I’m aware that newspapers are laying people off quicker than they can print their daily news, but who says I have to work for a newspaper.