As I sit here with a blank screen trying to come up with something interesting or clever to say, I’m reminded of the feeling I had trying to write my first article. When I joined The Feather as a freshman in high school, I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

One day my mom approached me and told me about this man, Greg Stobbe, who had trained a girl not too much older than me to illustrate comics for the high school newspaper. Ecstatic, I immediately set up a time to meet with him and show him my artwork– I could draw for them too!

I’m sure you can imagine my shock when I found out I’d have to learn to write before I could start pursuing my creative goals. I can easily recall the first piece Stobbe had me write, and how instantly he made a great first impression on me. I was told to write a short story without using any pronouns in 200 words. Easy, right?

I left class the following day with about 25 red marks on my paper and a whole new perspective on writing. The exercises and training Stobbe gave us that year led to the most tangible growth I’ve ever experienced in my writing.

Later that year, after I had learned how to write like a true journalist, my close friend Summer Foshee and I began the infographics branch of The Feather with help from former Feather student Sam Cross. My first designs were pretty horrible, but I kept practicing and eventually sharpened my skills. That first year in The Feather proved incredibly beneficial to me throughout my high school years both academically and socially.

Sophomore year was one of the most challenging years of my life, and the Feather had taken an unexpected turn. I began to learn photography, something I was only minorly interested in, and it turned out to be one of my favorite subjects I learned in high school. This was not just because of the subject matter but because of the incredible teacher I had: Kori James. I quickly picked up the skill, going to events and practicing as often as I could. It felt natural walking around with a camera.

Although I was enjoying myself, I still had difficulty being productive and getting things done. The Feather, in comparison to other classes I’ve taken, is the closest thing I found to a professional work or business flow. It was especially difficult juggling learning almost all the different roles The Feather had to offer– the team was especially small this year. This meant more work for fewer people. I had to learn to adapt to balancing workloads, accomplishing deadlines, and learning new techniques.

I decided to take a year away from the Feather to grow in other areas of my life, planning on rejoining the following year. Even without being in the class, I could see the tremendous impact it had on our school. Every event, every bit of news was covered by our talented photography and journalism team. Occasionally, I was even able to help out with pieces of articles or posts wherever I despite not being in the class.

Rejoining the next year had a fresh and exciting feeling, especially because of how much the team had grown this year. I decided initially that I wanted to write and be a journalist this year, only I was finding it difficult to find something to write that meant something to me. I could cover events or news, but I had it in my heart to share something I cared about for my senior year.

At this point, I felt lost. I had dabbled in pretty much everything- writing, photography, infographics, and even some light videography. For about a month I tried to be a full-time photographer, but that was ill-suited for me. I decided to talk to James about what I should do. After a long series of talks (and sometimes arguments), we were finally able to come up with something I was excited about. I would start a fashion blog.

This new venture was a big learning curve for me. I’d never written in a blog-style way before, in all my years on The Feather I had been taught the opposite. At first, it was difficult for me to get the hang of it. My first blog took a month– a month too long. The second came more naturally, then the third.

Through the busyness of life, I found that writing about something I cared so much about came easily to me. I found my voice and publishing these blogs felt like I was putting a piece of myself out there for people. I loved it. I had found my niche just in time for the end of my senior year.

None of this would have been possible without two of the best teachers I have ever had. I would like to thank Greg Stobbe for teaching me what it is to write and to be a writer. Every day, through any circumstance, he brought new life and his incredible passion into the classroom. I know the importance of connection, networking, being personable and thoughtful, and of confidence in yourself.

I would also love to thank Kori James for pushing me completely past my limits and most importantly for always believing that I was capable of doing amazing things. Her teaching has changed the way I view others and the way I view the world. Whether I was at my highest or my lowest, I felt uplifted. She grew my diligence, perseverance, and self-worth with every encouragement.

To those who are looking to join The Feather or are interested, it’s 100% worth the effort you put into it. Being responsible and not procrastinating are the best ways to go into any classroom setting.  Take all you can get out of the class and don’t go into it thinking you know everything. If you do this, you will grow in every way.

I hope to take all these excellent qualities I have learned into my future in college at GCU and beyond into my professional adult life. The memories and experiences I have gained from being on this team are irreplaceable and unforgettable.

This is my video project created for mobile video training in The Feather.

To read more senior reflections visit Senior Reflection: Amanda johnson or Senior Reflection: Mason Petrie