“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” – Michael Scott, The Office
My time with The University Star was more rewarding than I could have imagined. When I joined the Life & Arts section in Fall 2025, I knew I could put my creative writing skills to good use. What I didn’t anticipate was what this experience would grant me.
I’ve been a hairstylist for 12 years, which has its perks, but one of them is not professional decorum. Hairstylists are a rowdy, fickle bunch, and our mouths get ahead of our thoughts constantly. Communicating with clients is always about what’s next, tell them a story, keep them entertained, make them like you, how can I provide, be energetic, be happy, be present but don’t mess up, just keep going, just keep going. Expending all that energy every day made my active listening skills abysmal over the years.
As a feature writer, I had to slow down and listen. A good story can’t be found through press releases and website home pages — you have to talk to people. And I love talking, but I learned this year that I have a habit of trying too hard to please in a conversation. That doesn’t really work for interviewing sources.
I came to understand that when someone has something they want to talk to you about, it’s sometimes enough to simply lend an ear. Only after I implemented that did I get the best interviews, the most honest responses, the most rewarding conversations. That’s straightforward enough on paper, but in action, it took a little practice. And since practice makes perfect, I’m happy to pull this new skill out going forward in all conversations, not just for interviews.
Before pursuing a minor in journalism, I only ever put my English degree to use through essays and fiction, never creative non-fiction. I found a lot of similarities between the skills necessary for non-fiction and the kind I want to do, penning and publishing novels. I am not certain I will continue with feature writing or journalism, but I’ve seen and cherished the value of it. I can say I did it and be proud.
This experience put me in a place to really grow. I’m thankful to Jessica James for inspiring me to apply for The University Star, to Carlene Ottah for being super patient with me and a for being great editor and to Laura Krantz for pushing me in my last semester.
Catch you on the flippity-flip.
