My interest in journalism was sparked early on. My oldest sister studied journalism at Auburn University and even wrote for their school newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman, where she became Summer and Community Editor. My freshman year, due partially to my immense boredom from online school and mixed with the intense political climate of our nation, I watched and read the news diligently and constantly. I flipped through all the news channels and read articles from every news organization out there. Sifting through prejudice and bias, I was hunting for facts so that I could form my own opinions. Overtime, I had decided, I was determined to seek a career in journalism. It was my strong belief that knowledge is power and everyone deserves to be informed about the events in their community, and I wanted to be a part of that.

In my Microsoft Word and PowerPoint class, I was assigned to create a presentation about my future career. I began researching the best schools for journalism, average salary, and more to be included in my presentation. Now, not only did I have an idea of what career I desired, but I had a plan. When I learned applications were open to join our school newspaper, I was beyond ecstatic. I scored an interview with Mrs. Doud and spent hours picking out my outfit and preparing myself for questions she may ask in this virtual interview, which turned out to be pretty nonchalant. Finally, I heard, I was in, I was going to write for Legacy, I was a journalist!

On the first day of sophomore year, I was so excited for Newspaper class, I showed up to room 2315 at the wrong time. I came at the start of second period instead of third. I walked in, sat down, saw the board said “Welcome to English II,” realized my mistake, and booked it to my math class, which I was now late to. 

I can recall the feeling I had regarding journalism: a fierce passion. I was excited to make a difference by keeping our student-body informed. Three years later, Newspaper has remained a constant in my high school career. Admittedly, I am a different person now than I was when I began at Legacy, and although I no longer desire a career in journalism, I am eternally grateful for the opportunities Legacy has provided me; I am appreciative of the knowledge and support I have gained from Mrs. Doud and Mrs. McGee; I am thankful for the people Newspaper has brought into my life, Rose, Shivani, Logan, Kate, Kylie, and Amber; and I look forward to the road ahead. I am certain that the skills I have obtained writing for Legacy will serve me well. Moreover, the values I held on day one–that all people deserve to remain informed because with knowledge comes power–remain the same and I can only hope my departure from Legacy makes room for passionate students who understand the importance of our program. 

As for my future, in the fall I will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I intend to study Public Policy. 

Long live Legacy. 

This is Allison Hurley, signing off.