My fashion icon once said that being a journalist is one’s ticket out to the world. Well I have to totally agree with Jackie Onasis on this one.

As a journalist I feel that journalism, thus far, certainly has been my ticket to many places. Journalism has taken me wonderful places like the Swiss Alps and military bases in Germany. It has taken me to the scene of people coming together over tragedy and building their community together after deadly tornados. But here in Selma, I have found that more than being a ticket to the world, journalism is my ticket to knowing the community I live in.

As of today, I have written more than 100 stories for The Selma Times-Journal in the few short months I have been here. Journalism has been my ticket to meet all of the key players in town like judges and political officials. I get to speak with the presidents of companies and spokespeople for government agencies. I have met sweet old women over the age of 100 and heard their stories about growing up in Alabama and what a different time that was.

I think I expected journalism would be my ticket out to the world and the community— but I didn’t know it would give me a front seat to education.

As a college graduate, I thought my days of learning about the government, economics and sociology were done. But boy was I wrong. Being a journalist means you learn about a new topic everyday. My first day on the job, I had no idea Selma had multiple school systems. Today I can report on the school board meetings knowing all of the board member’s names as well as their positions on certain issues. Today, after writing a story about road construction, I feel like with all of the knowledge I gained I could go out with the road crew and help plane, resurface and stripe U.S. Highway 80. But maybe I should just stick to writing because it is too hot outside for anyone to be pouring asphalt.

Recently I find that I am learning so much about politics and local government with the upcoming election. I am finding that I have an opinion about all of it too. As I attend ribbon-cutting events and watch volunteers create programming for the community, I am starting to understand how federal grant funding works— something I had no clue about prior to the Selma Times-Journal.

It saddens me to hear people ask me why I wanted to be a journalist if the industry is slowly fading away. I always tell those people that first and foremost journalism is my passion and secondly the industry is simply changing. Believe me, us journalists aren’t going anywhere because we are far too nosy and noisy. This is the greatest job in the world.

Is there another job that allows you to experience new things and step into someone else’s shoes day by day?

I am a community watchdog, a sleuth, a researcher, a biographer and history recorder. I am a journalist and it is certainly more than a ticket to see things — it’s the opportunity to learn about them too.