Personal Narrative

In the summer before my freshman year, I made the decision to switch from public school to private school. I was eager to continue my broadcasting career from a short stint as a broadcaster for my middle school. I emailed our athletic director about a month before school started and inquired about the broadcasting program at my new school. His answer was short — there wasn’t one, but he was eager to get one started. I told him I would happily work as many games as he would let me. We continued to email back and forth and had frequent conversations when school began. 

When football season rolled around, I was proud to carry my high school’s first-ever online broadcast to over 100 people. My freshman year coincided with COVID-19, and fans were not allowed into games. Grandparents, friends, neighbors, and alumni were forced to watch from home. I was delighted to consistently deliver high-quality broadcasts to those trapped on their couches. I believe my assertiveness to initiate and maintain my school’s broadcasting program brought together our community during a very difficult time. I have continued to broadcast for my school, and I am now wrapping up my fourth year. I’ve recruited other students to broadcast alongside me, and I have built a program that will outlast my time in high school. 

I have additionally been honored with a leadership position this year as my school newspaper’s sports editor. I have been tasked with producing content for our online website and print issues, as well as using my knowledge of both media forms to mentor underclassmen who will take my position in coming years. It is a fulfilling experience to be able to provide advice and encouragement to those below me in my newspaper class. The main reason I applied for the position was the freedom it would give me to find real stories in our building that dealt with people behind the scenes, not just athletes or coaches.

I believe I have been successful in my mission. The vast majority of my work covers actions by athletes or coaches off the court, or the powerful emotions invoked in them by their work on the court. For the rest of my journalistic career, I will take the following angle to my work: sports are not special because of wins and losses. Sports are special because they bring people together and powerfully impact the audience and the participants. They will always mean something more than what happens on the field, and I’ve done my best to cover that angle this year. I believe it’s a fresh approach to the position not only at my school but in the state of Kansas.