I hated writing as a kid. “Free writing” or any kind of creative exercise was my nightmare. Whether it was being told to write about “my last vacation” or being left with the impossible task of inventing my own characters and plot, I dreaded it all.
Eventually, we moved on to essay writing, and for a while, my misery subsided. I managed to do well on book reports, research papers and AP practice-test essays, but I never truly felt comfortable.
When I arrived at Hofstra University, I was convinced I was a bad writer yet chose journalism as my major, hoping I could work with podcasts instead. Now, as my time here ends and I’ve been asked to write about my experience for a newspaper, it feels a bit ironic, and that old childhood dread came creeping back in.
It probably sounds contradictory, so let me explain. The only reason I’m writing this is because I learned along the way that I didn’t have to tell my own story or make up a story at all; I could tell other people’s stories instead. After four years of doing just that, writing my own doesn’t seem as scary anymore. I might not have the usual quotes or the atmosphere of writing about an athlete, but I have memories, and that’s enough for me.
I got involved with The Hofstra Chronicle almost against my will – not literally, but close. One of the first things people learn about me is that I love wrestling, but back during freshman year, I kept it under wraps. I thought I was more of a “culture and society” person than sports. But I let it slip in class, and soon after that, the professor set up a meeting with the Chronicle’s Sports editors. I wasn’t exactly eager, but I had no reason not to hear them out. Despite my protests that I was a bad writer, they convinced me to attend my first budget meeting and cover a women’s soccer game.
My first soccer recap was nothing special, but it was acceptable. The first real spark came after I covered a preseason wrestling intersquad dual. You have to understand, the bar for wrestling coverage wasn’t high, so people were surprised when I not only knew who was winning but could identify every move and even suggest what the athletes could have done differently.
Wrestling coverage became my thing. Then, it turned into talking about wrestling, calling matches, taking photos, basically, anything and everything related to the sport. But it also became more than wrestling. I learned the rules of other sports, got to know the players, the culture and the stories. I realized that a great story is a great story, regardless of the sport, and that I had a knack for helping to tell them.
By sophomore year, I was Sports editor. I moved the budget meetings from late at night to the middle of the day. I expanded our section to include photography and strengthened our online and social media presence. Meetings went from rushed affairs to long conversations about sports and life.
Everything I’ve done at Hofstra, and outside of it, is because of my experience as Sports editor and covering wrestling. All the leadership roles, internships, jobs, travel and memories trace back to the Chronicle giving me a chance.
Now, the story is ending, figuratively, as I graduate soon, and literally, as this is the end of the story of how I learned to love writing. But since I still have a lot of space to fill and words left, I’ll use them to thank as many people as possible and give a little unsolicited advice, as every senior is entitled to do.
Thank you to my parents, who let me move across the country and have always supported my journey in sports. To my sister, who somehow knows more about sports than I do. To my grandparents, who keep up with everything I do.
Thank you to my first roommate and one of my closest friends, who is so smart and somehow makes me miss living in the dorms. Thank you to the boys I live with now, who make me laugh, and to the one who inspired me early on. To the girls I miss every day and could talk with for hours: I wish you all the best in the world. Thank you to my favorite person, who has made this year so special and makes me want to be better every day.
Thank you to the alumni who mentored and advocated for me. Even if I don’t still bother you for advice, you made everything possible. Thank you to the professors who pushed me to explore knowledge in every direction.
Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with at the Chronicle, WRHU and the HEAT Network. I couldn’t have done any of this without you and the effort you put in. And thank you to everyone at Hofstra Athletics for letting me cover these programs over the years; to the wrestling coaches and the whole team, thank you for everything.
Most of all, thank you to every person who let me tell their story. I hope I did it justice.
For once in my life, I’ll be under the word count, so I’ll just leave you with this: If I’ve learned anything, it’s to not be the person who holds yourself back. There’s so much to discover, but you have to believe you deserve to try. Believe that your story is worth telling and that you can be the one to do it.
