savannahputnam8448f42beb-lcbrp

Like all kids, I started reading when I was in first grade. At first I hated it. I did not understand anything my teacher was trying to teach me. But once I got the hang of it, I quickly became addicted to reading. My first chapter book that I ever read Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. After completing my first real book, I was hooked. I started reading every night with my mom, my grandma, and by myself. One of my biggest accomplishments in third grade was that I was the firs that surpassed the reading goal in my class. Reading became a very important and valuable part of my day to day life. I began reading paperback books, then I started reading on a kindle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started beginning and finishing books within days, sometimes hours. Reading was an escape from the real world. 

As I have gotten older, I started reading different genres. My favorite right now is murder mysteries. But I love all kinds of books. Some of my favorites right now are The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch and If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. 

Most of my favorite hobbies of mine enhance my creativity. I love photography, videography, and editing photos or videos. I aspire to be a filmmaker, so anything film related I love. Being creative is how I get through my day to day life. I like playing field hockey or going out to exercise. I love going to the beach, whether it’s with my friends, my family or even just by myself. When I’m at the beach I always bring a book to read. I love just being able to sit down in a beautiful place with a view where I can fully lock in on some reading. 

I began my journalism journey my junior year of high school, writing for my school’s newspaper, The HiTide. I quickly fell in love with writing articles, particularly the opinion section of the newspaper. I liked researching topics, curating questions based on the topic, interviewing people, and then writing about what I had learned. Journalism gave me strong writing skills that will last me a lifetime.