When I first came to Monmouth in the Fall semester in 2017, I originally was a biology major. I thought I wanted to be involved with science and midway through the second semester, I knew that was not what I wanted to do. So I was back to square one, and I thought to myself, ‘okay so what’s next?’ While I was considering my options, my mom offered me the best advice I could receive at the time, “Do something that will make you happy.” When she told me this I knew exactly what my mindset was, I wanted to pursue a career in the world of sports journalism.
My sophomore year I took Introduction to Journalism and it also was very life altering for me. Professor Morano was the one who taught the class and his speech after the first meeting motivated me to begin writing sports for The Outlook.
Starting out as a Contributing Writer, I knew this is something I loved to do. Whether it be about lacrosse, baseball, swimming, football or basketball I knew that writing about sports is my passion. My favorite moment as part of the Outlook was last year when I covered the Men’s basketball team, when the played against the prestigious Kansas. During the game George Papas stole the ball and dunked it on the other end when the Hawks were well out of it. Papas broke the internet as clips of the dunk were all over ESPN, Bleacher Report and other sports platforms.
Senior year, I was named the Associate Sports Editor of The Outlook. These past two semesters at The Outlook have been my favorite as I took on a bigger responsibility as well as work with Mark D’Aquila who has helped me tremendously grow as an editor.
My advice to any underclassmen as well as upcoming students is the same thing my mother told me. Chase your dreams, do something that is going to make you happy. If you aren’t happy with your major, don’t be afraid to change it to something you have more passion for. The Outlook has been a huge part of my college experience and is a large reason why I am the person I am today. I will be forever grateful The Outlook offered me.
PHOTO COURTESY of Jack Murphy
