I am really not sure where to even start when writing this article about the importance of taking Journalism. I guess I could start by mentioning how Mrs. Gordienko has helped me grow in such a short amount of time. I want to write this article for any juniors or sophomores wondering what classes to take, in hopes to inspire some to take this class. In order to do that, I will share my story.

I grew up taking traditional English courses. You know, the ones where you read books you may not have ever heard of, and then take a test on it. Yes, that kind, and it was hard for me. I never enjoyed reading books that I did not pick for myself, and I could never comprehend what was happening enough to pass any kind of test. The one thing that I was good at was writing. Writing was always something that I enjoyed from the time I was young. I used to write for fun about my life and all that was going on (which was not much at that age). In high school, I always received my highest grades on essays, and lowest on comprehension tests. Naturally, when I was entering my senior year, I knew I wanted to pick an English class that would allow writing to be the main focus. Journalism was a perfect fit for me.

I want to pause in the story there to say that if you are like me and you love writing, or even want to improve your writing, journalism is the class for you. I had never met Mrs. Gordienko, or said more than a few words to her before in my life. She soon became someone that I will keep in touch with forever. I was instantly improving my writing, and getting to research things that I was really interested in. I learned so much about speaking up for the things I believe in, the importance of getting an accurate story, and grew an appreciation for those who have careers in journalism. I remember my mom reading one of my first articles I published in journalism, and she could not even believe that I wrote it. My improvement was almost instant and it never stopped. I was so eager to learn more about journalism and to keep writing about things that I am passionate about. This class was so amazing and taught me so many things that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

I absolutely love writing, social media, modern day media, and doing things that have never been done. I was pushed way beyond the limits of what I thought I could do as far as my creativity and writing. I could not say enough wonderful things about this class, and I would encourage anybody to take it. Journalism will push you beyond what you thought you were capable of (sometimes causing a little stress), but overall, make you grow as a writer and person. For me, it was about so much more than the writing it was about finding my voice and the things that I like to do. I learned how to share what I believe in correctly and professionally. I learned how to do intensive research and make a story out of anything. I learned how to write on a deadline which was something I never had done before. Seriously, I would say that this class will do nothing but great things for the people that participate in it. In the past, I would sit in class and question when I would ever use the information that I was being taught. This class, I never questioned for a second. Journalism ignited a fire in me scholastically that I have never had before, and honestly improved my overall work ethic, attitude towards school, and confidence in myself. I cannot thank Mrs. Gordienko enough for believing in all of my ideas and allowing me to grow in my own way.

I would say to anyone that can relate to my story or is interested in studying communications or journalism, this is for sure the course for you. This can also be the course for people not interested in that either, I think there are take-aways for every single type of person in this class. Overall, journalism was one of the best classes I have ever taken in school, and I cannot thank Mrs. Gordienko for everything she has done for me. She is such an amazing teacher and I will forever keep in touch with her. I would really urge everyone to consider taking this course, you will not regret it.