With the semester coming to a close and grades becoming a matter of importance in student’s minds, many upperclassmen are thinking about their future after high school. It is a thought surrounded by uncertainty for many, however some are confident in what they want to pursue.

  The confidence can be found even in freshmen, such as Sarah Woodward, a writer whose dream is to become a journalist in New York.

  “I’ve been interested in journalism for as long as I could remember,” Woodward said. “I’ve always loved reading books and writing, so to have the chance to write for a company and get my stories out into the world would be amazing.”

  Woodward is taking journalism class, and plans to join the publications staff during the second semester of her freshman year. Her interest in the field is not solely based on writing.

  “What appeals to me is how different [journalism] is and how many opportunities this job brings,” Woodward said. “Meeting new people is a huge part of the job. Sometimes [it] even allows journalists to travel and learn about new places which also appeals to me because I love both of those things.”

  She has been writing in both fiction and nonfiction for years, practicing with daily prompts she finds online. She views her writing as practice for the future, where she aspires to write and publish stories that matter.

  “I hope to be able to write news stories that involve police investigations,” Woodward said. “These stories seem unpredictable and may affect the community, making it interesting to write about.”

  2016 has been a divisive year for citizens, and journalists have faced trouble meeting reader and viewer demands as social media has become a more popular source of information. Woodward sees the importance of journalism, and plans to contribute.

  “Journalism is important in today’s age because it is a safer way to give information,” Woodward said. “Social media may give biased or false information to an audience while journalism is mostly unbiased and true.”