By: India Ambrose

Though everyone in journalism might say they have a joy and passion for writing, mine started with a love for reading and writing fiction. I began writing short stories and poems in 5th grade or even earlier and I began to perfect my craft. In middle school, I had written a 500 page novel that took many twists and turns and entertained the entire middle school. Ever since, I have written many other short stories and poems and even performed at open mics. With that being said, I started to learn more about non-fiction writing and that helped me perfect my fiction writing.

When I started taking journalism courses, my writing style changed and how I thought about writing was adjusted. I had to switch my mindset and hone my skills. Since I loved writing and interacting with people, I felt that journalism was a great path for me. Taking this digital journalism course is a great step in preparing me for discovering new ways to communicate with people using media, unlike just writing. With my work in Raw magazine and our use of images and other forms of communication, I was able to learn how to utilize multimedia journalism prior to the course. Raw magazine has been a great outlet for my journalistic side along with my creative writing side. I have been able to showcase my creative writing skills while writing articles. I was able to have my own voice in my writing, which could be harder in a more formal magazine. It was a place for me to mix my love of style and fashion with my passion for journalism. Raw magazine was a place where my major and minor collided into a beautiful dream.