Entering Journalism in my junior year was one of the best decisions I have made in my 12 years of education thus far. Those of you who know me will understand but I would not exaggerate this importance.

I’d like to make clear that this wasn’t any kind of turning point. This was not the moment or the class that led me to realize I wanted to be a journalist. This was the culmination of a lifetime passion for news, journalism, and the art of writing. And I think that’s okay, important even — I will not be a journalist but that doesn’t mean but I don’t love and need journalism.

The Mercury, and my time in journalism, have been important to me for two reasons: the people I have met and the voice they have been given. I have met so many amazing and talented people both peers and professionals through this program.  It was the BFA Mercury that opened the opportunity for me to participate in the New England High School journalism collaborative the last summer and meet brilliant writers and students from across New England. No matter where I go and what I do in my future, I will cherish the memories of the fellow student journalist I have worked with and the time we have shared together.

But above all I will cherish the outlet the Mercury has offered us all. No other class offers the level of trust and responsibility endowed in the Mercury student journalist. No other class so freely allows students to not only speak their mind and explore the topics that interest them but to publish their discoveries to the public. No other class gives students the platform to seek out the controversy and corruption within their school or community and shine the light of truth upon it. That is the importance of the Mercury, and I will always keep that with me.