Editor-in-chief is a very large title to fill. When I was younger, I would never have imagined myself taking on such a big role.

I am from the small town of Milledgeville, Illinois. A year ago, I moved to Madison, and I can say it was the best decision of my life. Now I am in the photography program at Madison College. 

Last year, I started out as a photographer for The Clarion and ended up picking up a few more jobs along the way – I tend to be very entrepreneurial.

Over the summer, I worked five different jobs and I loved each and every-one of them.

Growing up in a small town, I thought I was prepared for the real world. Once I moved to Madison, I realized how sheltered my life had been. 

Coming to Madison College I have met so many amazing people through my program and through The Clarion. I have done so many things I never imagined I would have done in a million years, such as writing this “Meet The Clarion’s New Editor-in-Chief” piece.

I have always written, but have never shared anything of what I write. I was never confident enough, but The Clarion has really pushed me to be more confident in myself and what I do. 

As editor-in-chief, I plan on growing the staff with more writers, photographers and graphic designers. I want to bring in students from the classes and show them that there is more to news than just words or pictures on paper.

There are so many aspects to a newspaper that I never really realized till I had joined The Clarion. There’s an artistic component that features photography and graphic design. Writers are able to share their thoughts through the opinion section of the newspaper, and discuss different interests such as music, art and video games in the arts section. 

Yes, we cover the news around the Madison area, but with a focus on how it affects the students of Madison College. 

I want to show students that we are here to listen to their stories, and that we are here for them. I would love to see more people from the college come check us out and join our paper. 

We are more than just a paper though. We have our broadcasting team. We do video work for our online website. We give so many opportunities than just writing for the paper. 

I am very excited for what this year brings and to see all the new and returning faces of our Clarion team. I cannot wait to grow with each and every one.