From teenybop mags to newspapers

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in until my fourth semester at Southwestern College. I was debating whether I should major in psychology or English but decided to take a journalism class titled Writing for Publication. I always had an interest in magazine writing so I thought it would be a good idea to see if it was something I wanted to pursue.

My magazine obsession began when I was nine. My dad would take me to 7-11 and buy me teenybopper magazines. I now have a bookcase filled with magazines ranging from Rolling Stone to Vogue. Receiving a magazine in the mail is like getting a birthday present every month. The glossy pages are inviting, bringing to life this season’s must-have shoes or pictures of foreign countries I would have otherwise never seen.

Although the journalism class was interesting, I wasn’t convinced I wanted to change my major to journalism until I received a graded article the last week of class. I was content with my grade but what caught my eye was a message from the professor, Max Branscomb, which was written on top of the article. The message read “Please join my newspaper staff next semester.” It was then I decided journalism was going to be my major.

I was on the Southwestern College Sun newspaper staff for two years and transferred to San Diego State University in 2009. Since then, I have been working toward earning my bachelors in journalism and have one more semester to go. I wanted to do an internship before graduating so I could gain experience that will help me become a better journalist.

I am excited to be interning at The Star-News because writing for a local newspaper is ideal. I have lived in Chula Vista my whole life and feel that I have a duty to write about the city I know and love.

Although I am willing to write about any theme or topic, arts and entertainment is what I enjoy writing about the most. The use of the arts to express emotions is something that really inspires me to write.

There’s something about watching a dancer or listening to a piano player that helps me understand our emotions and how to communicate it to others. It’s also fascinating to find out what inspired the artist to write a certain song or how he/she chose the choreography he/she did for a certain piece of music.

My career goals are to either write for a magazine where I can interview artists and write features on different arts and entertainment events or write for a fashion magazine. I am a true believer that fashion is also an art. I also want to expand my blog in hopes of gaining readership throughout the country.

Besides writing, I love to take my dog, Crook, on walks around my neighborhood. I also like to read, watch mindless reality TV shows and spend time with family and friends.

Read my blog at: www.whatstanyathinking.blogspot.com

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