I remember waiting for my bus alongside my neighborhood friend and mom on my first day of freshman year. As my bus rolled to a stop in front of my house, my mind was all over the place. All I could think about is “How am I going to survive high school?”
The answer to that question: very carefully. I had signed up to take full year journalism to satisfy my English classes after Mr. K had come to talk to my eighth grade class a few months prior. Little did I know that taking that class would be the best decision I would ever make.
I found a home within the walls of Room 400. I met so many amazing people and learned how to produce great work as a journalist. Up until this point, I had spent years of my life wanting to be a lawyer so I could help those in need.
However, what I found out by the end of my sophomore year was that I had a strong passion for journalism. I knew by the end of my first year on The Journal staff that I wanted to be a journalist when I graduated high school. Now here I am, a little over a month left of high school and I have committed to Franklin College for multimedia journalism.
Mr. K, who has not only been my adviser, but has also been my motivation to keep moving forward with all the crazy ideas I have for this amazing staff, is the reason I found my passion, and I will be eternally grateful for him and his guidance over the last few years. Thank you, Mr. K, for being a teacher I could count on for these last four years. Thank you for pushing me to be the journalist I am today.
Everything I have learned over the last few years, not just in Room 400 but throughout the rest of school, will be things I carry with me for the rest of my life. I’ve heard so many teachers over the years tell other students that school will get better once they “find their home.” Well, I found my forever home in Mr. K’s room.