My journey as a student at Saint Anselm runs in tandem with my time writing and editing for the Saint Anselm Crier. The second or third day of classes my freshman year, I approached the Crier table at the club fair and asked only about writing book reviews. They directed me to the Culture section, and I submitted book reviews about every two weeks for one school year.

The Culture editor at the time, Meghan Schmitt, asked if I would like to write something other than book reviews during my sophomore year. I was hesitant to stray from what I was comfortable with, but I had taken a journalism class in high school. I wasn’t going in completely blind.

I remember what that first article was about, too. I also remember that I had to interview someone in person and ask them questions, something I had never done before. I recorded the conversation to quote later. Listening to it back, my voice sounded wavering and unsure. I thought about how inexperienced I must have looked and how embarrassing it was. But, to my surprise, I had fun writing the article.

The experience I gained from writing for the Culture section transferred to my classes. As I became more confident in journalism, I became more confident in myself. Even simply interviewing sources for articles taught me to be more sure of myself, both as a ‘reporter’ and as a person. When it was time for Meghan to leave Saint Anselm, I was happy to inherit her position.

My role as an editor has introduced me to so many great people and has brought me closer to the Saint Anselm community. I learned more about journalism, but most of all, I found more of my own voice. I hope to use my experiences with the Crier long after I’ve closed this chapter of my life. I’m going to miss everyone who was involved with making the paper what it is today, but I know that it is left in good hands.