I’m a senior at Michigan State University studying journalism with a concentration in media relations, along with minors in business and media photography. I came into college knowing I liked storytelling, but I didn’t really know what that meant for me yet or what direction I wanted to take it in.

At first, I was mostly drawn to writing. I spent time working with VIM Magazine, where I wrote blog content and later became the assistant director of the blog team. That experience taught me to think about tone, audience, and how content is structured. It also made me realize that I was just as interested in how something looks and feels as I was in what it says. I started paying more attention to design, layout, and the way content comes together as a whole instead of just focusing on the writing itself.

Over time, that interest, along with the classes I was taking, naturally shifted me toward social media and digital content. I became really interested in how stories actually reach people, especially during a time when attention is limited and everything moves fast. I started thinking more about what makes someone stop scrolling and how visuals and messaging work together.

“I like being involved in everything, from the idea to the execution to how it’s presented to an audience.”

That’s what led me to The State News, where I worked as a social media content creator and later became the Social Media Editor/Coordinator. That role has been one of the most defining parts of my college experience. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and constantly changing, which has forced me to think quickly and be adaptable. Beyond just creating content, I’ve worked on refining our visual style, rethinking how we format posts, and tracking analytics to show what performs well. Over the past year, that approach helped grow our Instagram presence to over 22,000 followers.

What I’ve realized through all of this is that I’m not just interested in one part of the process. I like being involved in everything, from the idea to the execution to how it’s presented to an audience. I like figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and why. I like creating content that feels like it has a purpose behind it, not just something that fills space.