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Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

When I was in high school, I knew I liked to write, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life beyond that.

English was my favorite subject, but I didn’t want to be a teacher. I started thinking about other things I could do with my life to utilize my interests and talents.

I knew I always liked newspapers, and even as a youth collected the newspapers on days of big national events.

Soon, I settled on the idea of becoming a journalist. I could learn about new things every day and share the information I learned with my community. I could meet new people, be pushed out of my comfort zone and get to know the ins and outs of my community. I felt like it was something I could do to make a difference, and now after 17 years officially in the industry, I still get excited about that thought almost each and every day.

How blessed I am to do something that makes me excited to go to work, and that makes me feel like I’m helping others in a sense.

Yes, sometimes it can be difficult, and, yes, sometimes it is very hard work, but I can still honestly say I love what I do. That’s not something a lot of people get to say.

This Thanksgiving season, I want to say thank you for opening up your lives to me. Sometimes I know the people I interview well, but oftentimes that’s not the case. In many cases, I have never met the individuals I interview until the day of, and we are essentially strangers when we first talk.

I recognize it’s not always easy to talk to strangers about life — whether it be successes or challenges or everything in-between. But I am grateful that you place your trust in me to tell your stories and that you open your hearts to me.

I’m grateful for all of the many people I have met this year and the lessons I have learned from your experiences.

Often I am impacted or inspired, and many times I walk away changed forever.

I may not always express how deeply some of your stories have impacted me, but I can think of several instances this year that have left a profound impact on me.

Thank you also for continuing to support this community newspaper through subscriptions or advertisements. Your financial support helps make what we do possible.

I hope to continue to tell your stories for many years to come.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.