I used to start all of my bios with classic facts about myself that made me sound like the star of a cliché Hollywood film that did not even make it out of pre–production. Just a small town girl from New Jersey trying to make it in Los Angeles.
The only part missing was an anecdote about how I waited tables and sang in between serving courses. But I am not a starving artist; I am a starving journalist. I am a journalist starving to be noticed; a journalist starving to break the rules; a journalist starving to revolutionize the industry.
It all started in that New Jersey home of mine – a place I have great pride in, yet could not wait to leave behind. In elementary school, I used to stay up until all hours of the night and write short stories. With a flashlight in hand, so my parents would not know I stayed up passed my bedtime, I scribbled endlessly into my coveted K
initialed notebook. Nonetheless, my tired eyes would often close right before I could finish those last few sentences. Looking back, I had a bunch of half–written stories about recess and a few Lady Gaga inspired original songs. Ever since, I have had a passion to write. Luckily, I gave up on my desire to write songs – you′re welcome.
Sometime in the midst of high school I got caught up in sports, extracurricular activities, homework, and social events. The only writing I did was for literature classes. After the occasional essay on a book I had no interest in, I almost forgot about my passion to write. Writing was no longer a hobby, but a chore. I was no longer free to write what I wished, but I was tasked with a prompt that I often deemed boring. Fortunately, during my teen years when social media was quickly evolving, I found my passion again. It just came in a different form.
After clicking away video after video on Facebook, I decided to story tell digitally. I joined the production class that met every day in the back corner of my large high school. We roamed the building with the most intense video cameras I have ever touched. Together, a few classmates and I created original movie trailers, news broadcasts, short films, and more. It was my favorite time of the day. I got to write – but this time, in script form.
When I entered the infamous junior year of high school, the pressure was on. I stayed up numerous nights contemplating life and what I wanted to do in the future like every self-proclaimed lost
teenager does. Maybe I actually was lost though, because the answer was all around that New Jersey home of mine. Half-finished stories from years before sat in the drawer next to my bed and CDs of my past video projects scattered my closet. I guess one night I was found, or I at least found these items once again, because it was clear I wanted to story tell. I wanted to be a journalist.
Today, I am a journalist. I finally graduated from short stories I could not stay awake to finish, and moved on to writing non-fiction stories to inform the world. That is my motivation. To inform the world and to keep the world informed. No matter the topic, everyone has questions, and I hope to reveal those curiosities in an accurate and interesting way.
I guess I have not changed that much since elementary school after all, except now I do not have to hide from my parents when I stay up passed my bedtime. Nor do I need to use a flashlight to write late at night. I guess there are some benefits to growing up after all.
By Kate Lonczak