When I came to MSU, my plan was to have a major in journalism and a minor in musical theatre. I wrote for my high school’s newspaper and always kept up to date with news and politics. I knew I liked telling other people’s stories. Journalism really is something I’m passionate about. And having a minor in musical theatre would allow me to continue being involved in performing while also not getting too attached to the idea of pursuing anything in theatre. Or so I thought.

In the fall of my sophomore year, I was about to change my major. I didn’t feel like I was a good journalist. I felt like I was doing terrible in my journalism classes and I doubted whether or not I would be able to succeed in the School of Journalism, let alone as a future reporter. 

The week I was planning on speaking to my advisor about moving forward with finding a new major, one of my journalism instructors asked to speak to me in the hallway before class started. I legitimately thought he was going to tell me that I should think about a new path or start working harder to improve the stories and work I had been doing in the course. I now know that was myself talking. Instead, he suggested that I apply to work at The State News. That week, I did apply. 

The next week, I had an interview. A few days after the interview, I started out as an intern reporter. Months later, I had been moved on to be a general assignment campus reporter, covering ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s sentencing, several protests and marches on campus and more. This summer, I was the Academics and Administration reporter, continuing to cover the MSU administration, Nassar and ex-MSU dean William Strampel. 

Long story short: after being at The State News, I no longer wanted to change my major.

But, while I started working at The State News, I was also becoming more and more attached to the idea of being more involved in the Department of Theatre. I still wasn’t confident enough entirely immerse myself into it, though. Somehow I knew that I would be let down if I were to consistently receive negative feedback on my performances in class or continually not be cast in the things I auditioned for. 

Still, part of me knew that I would regret not taking a chance and following that little dream I’ve had ever since I was a little girl dancing around and singing to the Wizard of Oz. The only compromise I could come up with was to just add a major in theatre. That way, I could receive a degree in journalism, a degree in theatre and also keep my minor in musical theatre. 

For those of you having a difficult time choosing between two things you’re passionate about, my advice is to not give up one of them just because it might be harder, or might seem impossible, to do both. The State News and theatre have given me the strongest friendships and the most self-confidence. They’re both important to me. So important that I’m spending thousands of dollars more just to have two degrees in my hand by the time I leave MSU in May of 2020.

Whenever someone asks me what I could possibly do with a degree in journalism and a degree in theatre once I graduate, or how those two fields are even connected in the first place, I tell them I’m going to tell other people’s stories. To me, that’s how they’re both linked. To me, as long as I get the chance to tell significant stories in the end, I’ll be content. And, as long as I can have both journalism and theatre in my life, I’ll be more than content. 

This article appears in the Welcome Week 2018 print edition of The State News.