How do I describe my time here at Weber State University and especially The Signpost? I am considered a non-traditional student. I started my college career at Weber State in the fall of 2014 when I was 33 years old and newly-married. I am now concluding my time here at almost 40 years old. In the time I’ve been here as an undergrad, I’ve had two children.
Now, writing for a newspaper on campus wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I am an English major, after all, specializing in creative writing, not news writing. I thought maybe my chances were better at Metaphor, not The Signpost.
In the spring of 2019, I took a media writing class and a liking to writing in a more journalistic way.
Because of the media writing class, I decided to join The Signpost as a reporter for the news desk in the fall of 2019. I had written a couple of news stories, but I found that as a non-traditional student between my jobs as a student, employee off-campus, husband and father, I had a hard time balancing it all at the time.
I unfortunately had to resign from The Signpost. I didn’t want to, but The Signpost adviser, Jean Norman, was gracious enough to allow me to step away. My second son was born at this time and I just couldn’t handle being a reporter.
I happened to run into Norman at the hospital where my son was born. She reassured me that if I ever wanted to return to The Signpost, the door would always be open. That was something I kept in the back of my mind.
After the pandemic occurred and Weber State opened its campus once again, I knew I wanted to return to The Signpost as a reporter even with all of my other responsibilities.
As tough as the pandemic was, it gave me time to refocus and recommit to my goals.
When I returned, I decided I would work harder as a reporter than I had my first go around. During that time of covering stories, I was able to foster relationships with many on The Signpost, to the point that it qualified me to obtain an editor position on The Signpost.
That experience allowed me to look closely at my own writing and how I wrote things. I learned what it takes to be a leader and what you can do with that kind of influence in that space.
Even though I am an English major, I was able to take what I have learned as a reporter and editor into the other avenues of my career. I recently started a project in which I interviewed local authors. I took what Norman and other staff taught me about interviewing people. It made the process less daunting and intimidating.
I am thankful to all the editors, reporters and photographers on The Signpost whose interactions and relationships I will never forget. I am extremely thankful to Jean Norman, who never gave up on me and never stopped believing in her students at The Signpost. I will never forget my time there and will look back on it with fondness.
