Attending Muhlenberg College

As long as I can remember, I have considered myself to be more of a STEM person than a humanities person. I am heavily involved in our science research department, and I am going to college with the intention of being a premedical student. I currently spend a majority of my schedule in either the science labs or my calculus classroom.

However, there have been several instances of my mentors telling me that despite being an avid scientific researcher, I write like a humanities student. Instead of the typical plain, straightforward, jargon-filled writing one would expect from a STEM research paper, my work was more expressive and descriptive. One science fair judge even asked me if I was planning to major in English in college.

While it felt amazing to receive such unique positive feedback for my writing, this made me pause momentarily and consider the humanities. If one look at my work was enough to have me pegged as a humanities person, was science research really right for me? I began to reconsider my path. I was torn between two worlds, and no matter which one I chose to stay in, I felt I would leave something I loved behind.

This conflict is exactly what made journalism so appealing to me as I was beginning my sophomore year. Journalism combined the straightforward nature of scientific research with the creative aspect of the humanities. By writing for The Courant, I could continue to learn about the world around me while sharing my findings in my own voice.

Since my first article was published in March 2021, I have fallen in love with The Courant. I will always remember the excitement of choosing a new topic to write about, the meaningful discussions I have had with my sources, but most of all the friendships I have formed with my fellow writers and editors. The team of students behind The Courant is an amazing group of extremely talented minds, each with their own passions, goals, and perspectives. Each and every one of my peers contributes something unique to our publication. The interdisciplinary nature of The Courant is so freeing and allows me to be my true self. The memories I have made in the Publishing Suite are some of the best memories I have of my high school career.

I would like to thank Mrs. Semple for not only introducing me to the wonderful world of journalism, but also being supportive of my goals as a writer since I started high school. Mrs. Semple was my freshman year English teacher and since then has been my adviser for both The Courant and Crossroads Yearbook, being one of the only teachers to work with me for all four years of high school.

I would also like to thank Ms. Collette, Ms. Beatty, and Dr. Kramer for supporting me in my scientific endeavors, Mr. Suchopar for helping me grow as a student, Dr. Hansen and Ms. D’Amelia for helping me grow as a musician and a leader, and Ms. Catinella for always being there to help me prepare for the next big challenge. I will never forget the many important lessons I have learned from all of my teachers at CHS and I hope you know how grateful I am to have been your student. 

Underclassmen, my message to you is to never put yourself in a box. If there is anything I learned from my involvement in student journalism, it’s that nobody is just one thing.

I’ve met student athletes who code for fun, student musicians who know everything about business, student journalists with a passion for the theater, and believe it or not, science research students who love to write. You are not just a “band kid,” “science kid,” “theater kid,” “math kid,” or any other generic label someone tries to assign you. You are you, a wonderful mind with a unique combination of passions. High school is your time to explore your own interests without fear of what others might think. As Oscar Wilde once said, “to define is to limit.”

As the class of 2023 departs, we the staff of The Courant know that we are leaving our beloved school newspaper in your hands and look forward to reading your thoughts and updates from home.🔳