May Blog Post

My Signature project is finished! I presented for Signature day and completed a roughly 7000-word article called “A World I Know,” which I am working with a teacher at Emma to get published. I also had my last day at RISSE, which was hard for me but was also a lovely experience just in terms of spending time in that beautiful place one last time. (And I’ll probably be back eventually—I don’t think I could stay away forever!) 

Putting together a presentation about my Signature really helped me organize the experience I’ve had over the last two school years with this project. I’ve shifted the way I think about journalism, especially long form journalism, in so many ways. I’ve gained a more open-ended, nuanced view of long form journalism and storytelling; learned better how to be patient when talking with subjects and waiting for worthwhile things to happen instead of trying to force them to; and developed a writing style that I’ve never used before but that I think really works for me. 

All of these shifts came because something unexpected happened, whether it was hitting up against a wall when trying to interview a child on emotional, subtle things she couldn’t speak to, or being gradually induced to change a perspective I had, like my coming to appreciate refugee children for themselves and not the systemic problems they face. 

I got a lot of amazing help and support for this project from my mentors and advisers and community members and I am so grateful to all of them for so being so amazing. This has been an incredible experience and I’m so thankful I got to have it.

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