Aleea S. Slappy - Summer 2005

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would study journalism in college I would not have believed them. When I was younger, I dreamed of having a lot of careers and none of them involved writing. From being an actress to a pediatrician and even a policewoman, I had never envisioned myself as a writer.

As I prepare for my senior year as a print journalism major at Hampton University, I am amazed when I think about how far I have come. When I began college, I wanted to major in theater. I was convinced that I would have a future as an actress. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I recognized I had a love for writing and my love would turn into a career in journalism.

That year, I began keeping a journal. I wrote my thoughts about events and problems that I noticed in my hometown of Philadelphia and on the Hampton campus. After several months of writing in my journal, I wanted to share my thoughts with other people. Keeping a journal was my first step toward a future as a writer.

With the help of a professor, I changed my major to print journalism in the middle of my sophomore year. I went to work for The Script, the student newspaper. My second story – about students’ outrage over the new, expensive, off-campus laundromat that replaced dorm laundry rooms – made the front page. Making the switch was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

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