Where Are They Now? by Paige Kelloway

It doesn’t actually feel like that long since I was the one asking past staff members to send in a reflective article for our next issue. So the message asking me to write for this week was actually the only part of this week of midterms that I look forward to.

After graduating MHS, I came down to Elon University in North Carolina. I am now a sophomore, majoring in Human Service Studies and minoring in Communications. I know what you’re thinking: “So... what are you going to do with that?” I plan to go into either the social work and counseling field, or human or public relations, but I am not sure which path I will choose in a few years.

I didn’t think working on Headlight in high school would have had as big an effect on me as it has. I always enjoyed writing, but had never explored the whole journalism aspect until my sophomore year. The only reason I even joined the staff was because I went to a psychic the summer before the school year began, and she told me she saw me as a journalist in the future. But after being involved with it for three years, and being in charge with Matt for the last one, I knew it was something I was interested in.

This semester at Elon I am taking a communications course called “Media Writing” to fulfill my minor. I could have chosen any class to fulfill my minor requirement, but after testing the journalism waters a few years ago, I knew I would enjoy this one. Its purpose is to teach us how to write for all aspects of the media – and it’s way more difficult than you would think. I looked back on some of my Headlight articles last week, and was amazed, mostly embarrassed, at how much I have learned about journalism since then.

I admit that I don’t work on my school’s newspaper, The Pendulum. It was one of the fifty clubs I signed up for at the beginning of my freshman year, but never actually followed through with. However, I am sure that the communications classes I take will bring me somewhere in that field. That’s the thing everyone has to remember. Everything you do will bring you at least somewhere. Whether it’s encouraging you to keep going with that idea, or to turn and run the other way.

Like Matt Lieberson said, while other people see fall as the times of leaves, cider, and pumpkins, high school seniors’ lives revolve around applications and college decisions. And also like he said, remember that it really does all work out. During my college process, Elon was the one school I told my mom I would never, ever go to. But here I am now, and I couldn’t be happier. Everyone is right – these are the best four years of our lives. So embrace it all. Sign up for the fifty clubs to see what clicks. Meet all the people on your hall and in your classes that you can. Take the random class you think might be cool. Do everything you can while you have the chance, because I’m not even half way through and I’m already freaking out.