So I’m not going to say this because I’m in the class, but I’m very grateful for being in Journalism. This class has changed me for the better in so many ways. Initially, during my freshman and sophomore years, I felt like a nobody; I barely had any friends, and I lacked the courage to even talk to anyone new. I was just so lost within myself, figuring out who I wanted to hang out with, what I wanted to do with my school life, or anything of the sort. From that moment on, I felt regret for even signing up for Journalism, and I wanted out. Though the more I stayed, the more I realized I seriously needed this in my life. 

This massive realization came at the end of Journalism 1 and the start of Journalism 2. I saw many of my friends there, and it brought me to become more talkative in the classroom, especially with the people I didn’t talk to a lot. So just learning to talk to people without stuttering or being awkward in a sense really helped unlock new opportunities for me, such as joining clubs, making new friends, and, most importantly of all, unlocking something in my head. That was self-appreciation. I, for once, took a step back from everything and realized that most of my goals and aspirations were to just appease other people and how they’ll perceive me, but I thought about the needs and wants I had, and I found this new, profound love for myself. After having the experience of writing for the truth in articles, I have found the truth within me, which I searched so desperately for. I found appreciation in the small things in life, like nature, for example, because of photography. I found happiness in being more confident and happiness in becoming a person worth writing about, even if I’m the one writing this. I became more vulnerable around people and in my writing, which was featured in one of my articles I wrote.

It was about Cambodia and its conflict/ceasefire with Thailand, and there, I talked about my identity and what I thought about that situation as a Cambodian. All in all, I found a class I feel comfortable in, habits I picked up to use forever, and a new shell that cracked open that pushed me out there to be a person I can say I’m proud of.