The Blaze Copy Editor | 2025 WI Student Journalist of the Year
Reporting and Writing
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Before I go out for interviews, I sit down and take a few minutes to myself to gather my thoughts. I plan out my questions and decide how I will redirect my interview based on the answers I get. During the interview, I pretend like the interviewee and I are best friends who are playing catch-up. Sometimes, to make the situation more casual, I’ll sit on the floor with whoever I’m talking to just so we can be on the same level. When our conversation is over, I always end with “is there anything else you’d like to add?” More often than not, the story isn’t over yet.
My Stories
News
With "On Our Way" being the first yearbook I had ever helped curate, I was beyond ecstatic when our adviser, Mrs. Michelle Corbett, told us that we received All-American. I thought our book was good, but I didn't know it was that good. It was really such a big milestone in my life, and in a way, it felt like a reality check, too. It was sort of weird to me that other people were seeing my hard work, not just the students at Indian Trail. I will never stop talking about the amazing staff we had that year and all of the talent they had. Without them, our four marks of distinction would've never been possible.
Packers Land in the Nest
I wasn't made aware of the fact that the Packers would be bringing their Tailgate Tour to Indian Trail until the morning of the assembly. Mrs. Corbett had pulled me into the yearbook office and told me I needed to get the information and I needed to write the story. We both decided that we wanted our story out before the end of the school day. When the assembly was over, I spent every class after that working to put together something for our school to remember the day by. By 3 p.m., I had finally finished "Packers Land in the Nest."
Sports
Having my license makes covering events a million times easier. In the fall, my car got a lot of use driving to and from Bristol Oaks to watch the girls golf team practice. Originally, I had signed myself up to write the story for the spread, and nothing else. As I started going to practices, I realized no one else was covering them with me, and that it was now all or nothing. I tried out new angles like laying on my stomach and standing on benches. I started talking to the girls and getting to know them on a more personal level, so that when I found them for interviews later, it wouldn't be as nerve-wracking for either of us. When it came time to write this story, I was reminded of how important it is to treat the people you're interviewing as a friend, not just a subject.
Girls tennis was the first event I went to cover on my own. It wasn't only my first event with a camera, but it was my first event I ever had to write about. I spent so much time trying to get everything right, that in a way, the tennis practice also became my practice. I started to really focus on the terms they would yell out on the court and the ways they would hold their rackets. Although those aspects might seem minuscule to those watching from the bleachers, they became so valuable to me. Although my story wasn't perfect, I was proud of what I had created. I will always be proud of my first few pieces of work because those are the ones that have taught me the most.
Basketball is one of my favorite sports to cover. There's always so much movement, talk on the court and the energy from the crowd is just so reviving. If basketball is on our Runner, I'm signing myself up for it. Last year, I chose to jump at the chance of designing the spread and writing the story. When I first started writing the story, my angle was going to be the basic differences between how the boys play and how the girls play. But when I started talking to the teams, I realized there were deeper stories I could grab onto. I chose to redirect my story and write about the sentimental moments the teams shared with each other. While I interviewed the players, I was introduced to a whole new world beneath the surface.
Baseball has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up watching the Chicago Cubs and playing baseball in the backyard with my family. When I got older, I started playing softball for my school and for different rec leagues over the summer. Having been a part of so many different teams throughout my teenage years gave me so many ideas for angles on my story that it was so difficult to choose just one. When it came down to putting the story into words, I chose to write about why Indian Trail's athletes chose to play and all of the ways the game was important to them. I know how important a sport is to those who play, so I wanted to give everyone a chance to tell their story.
Profiles
Last year, I was a TA for Mrs. Corbett's Introduction to Broadcasting course. Over that time, I got to know the students in her class and form connections with them. Baya King stood out to me from the very beginning. She would always ask questions, do her work, and have friendly conversation with me and Mrs. Corbett. When Baya was nominated for a Personality Profile, I took the story. I used it as an opportunity to learn more about her and her background. Baya had an amazing story to tell, and I'm glad I got to be the one to tell it.
As a senior, I don't know many of the freshmen coming in. I was randomly assigned to Genevieve's story and was so excited to do another freshman profile. When I met her, I was immediately invested in her story. She is so involved and loves what she does. Although she was nominated for being in clubs, I could tell there was a much deeper story. In the beginning, her and I were both nervous to conduct our interview. As we progressed, I tried scratching beneath the surface with her and finding out more about her background. I found out more about her family, the sports she likes, and what her favorite color is (it's pink.) Writing Gen's story taught me that there is more heart to the story than some people let on.