Column: Nya Lony, Guest Column

As a child, I loved to write. I was always making up wild tales of monsters in outerspace or lengthy plays that I never finished, let alone performed. I kept shoeboxes of notebooks full of half-written pieces that I wouldn’t let anybody read. I dabbled in a little of everything, but no specific writing form really garnered my focus. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at Albert Lea High School that I truly found my writing niche in the Journalistic Writing 10 course.

J10, as it had been cleverly monikered, was my first introduction to journalism. It was a writing style out of my comfort zone of short stories, plays, essays and research papers. Nonetheless, I absolutely loved everything about it. I especially admired what I had been taught about the aim of journalism as a tool: “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” I aspired to write pieces that would break hearts, incite outrage and inspire hope. Of course, I was just a newbie with some big dreams. Instead, I started out with a more humble beginning, writing about my best friend.

After writing my first feature story about my friend, I developed a real passion for journalism. I loved every step in the cycle, the story idea process, the interviews, trying to decipher chicken-scratch notes, staring at a computer screen for hours waiting for some sort of inspiration, slowly piecing it all together and then finally publishing.

That passion led me to earn the editor position of the Sophisticate, which is the J10 newspaper, and to go on to join ALHS’s award-winning newspaper, the Ahlahasa. Setting my sights high, I eventually became the editor of the Ahlahasa, too. My invaluable experiences on both staffs only further sparked my interests in working in a real newsroom.

Pursuing my passion for journalism has opened many doors for me. Last summer I was an occasional guest columnist for the Albert Lea Tribune. This summer I’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to work as a staff intern for the Tribune to learn the ins and outs of the business and further develop my writing and photography skills.

In the fall, I plan to attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in hopes of double majoring or earning dual degrees in journalism and biology. Although my desired career is medically related, I still plan to write for as long as I am passionate about it.

Nya Lony is an intern for the Albert Lea Tribune.