I Am a Writer

I will say this right away: money is not something I obsess over. That is not to say I am not responsible with it. I am clarifying that I do not mind having a career that does not generate tons of money that some people dream of.

Journalists do not make a lot of money. However, there is an appeal of attending events and meeting new people. Maybe I am attracted to the sense-making aspect of journalism because I have yet to make complete sense of my own life.

I have always had a passion for writing, but when I was in high school certain relatives told me I would never make money as a writer. All they cared about was money, but I envisioned having a little more fulfillment in my life. Almost all of my relatives thought the idea was silly, except for my mom.

I used to stay up late and watch “Saturday Night Live” with my mom when I was in high school. She would tell me, “Emily, I can vision you being a writer for Saturday Night Live. You have such good humor and are able to create such interesting stories.”

This was not exactly journalism, but she was supportive of my career choice and knew I could succeed.

Originally, I was enrolled in UWSP as an English major, but with nagging comments from friends and relatives at that time, I temporarily trashed my dream of becoming a writer. I settled for biochemistry because everyone said it was where the jobs and money were.

I was good at chemistry and decent at math, but my heart was not there.

In the first semester of my junior year, I knew I needed to get back into writing. I was getting a ‘D’ in calculus and barely scarping by with a ‘C-‘ in human physiology. This is coming from a former 4.0 student.

I was doing poorly because I was not happy. After talking on the phone with my mom for two and a half hours in the basement of Smith Hall, I decided I had to switch my major to something that would help me become a journalist.

In October 2013, I remember talking with Carol Lanphear-Cook in Student Academic Advising Center and she told me a Communication major with a media studies emphasis would be the best fit for me.

My journey to become a journalist really took off when my adviser Steve Hill told me to attend one of The Pointer meetings. I began as a contributor who mostly wrote for Pointlife or Arts and Entertainment.

I began earning A’s in classes again because I was happy with what I was doing. In the summer of 2014 I found out I was going to be the Pointlife editor, and I could not have been happier.

This past year, I wrote 40 articles within the first semester, lost track in the second and edited countless articles. It was so much fun for me, I forgot I got paid. It is not about money for me. It is something I enjoy doing and I do not think I could live without.

This weekend, my mom came to the Communication Awards Banquet and said she was so proud of me. I am excited to walk on May 16, but at some points I thought, “I have to go to another event? Just mail me my damn diploma.”

It has been a whirl wind during college and I am ecstatic to step into the next phase of my life.

After I graduate, I will be searching for a job which will hopefully be as fulfilling as my position was at The Pointer. I am a writer and nothing can change that.

 

Emily Noèl Showers

Pointlife Editor

eshow592@uwsp.edu