Welp, here I am once again writing another introduction piece. I never thought I would get this far in my career or even life. I, once a scared 18-year-old young woman entering university, am now the web and copy editor at The Prospector. Yeah, I would have never thought of that for myself.

Now that I am here in this new position, I feel like a brand-new version of myself. I have this recurring memory from when I was in Pre-K. I was at some sort of museum that had a weather reporting station and I remember being so excited to imitate the news anchors I saw on TV. I never forgot about that excitement I had over a basic weather screen. Yet for some reason, I let that
dream of anchoring go.

Working day and night trying to understand math, science and human anatomy in high school felt like a drag. But it was a foundation that would lead me to success in nursing school. I didn’t hate what I was learning, but I hated myself for letting the dream of money and luxury drag me along a career path I didn’t want.

I look up to reporters like the icons Estela Casas and Rachel Philips for pursuing the career they wanted with confidence and changing the trajectory of women in journalism. As I continue pursuing my degree in multimedia journalism and my new position at The Prospector, I want to thank those who have inspired me and helped me along the way.

First my brother. Growing up, I watched my brother pursue his degree in journalism and even though I didn’t understand the challenges he faced, I thank him for being an inspiration to pursue this career choice. I hope I make you proud. My mother, even though nursing was not my dream, I still am chasing the goal to make you proud and be the one you see reporting news on TV.

Lastly, my mentors, Veronica Gonzalez, Crystal Hinga, Emmanuel Rivas Vanlezuela Armendariz and the ones I work amongst, I thank every single one of you for your support and teaching me to be the journalist I am now.

This is not the end; I hope to continue to move up and fulfill my goals and dreams as a journalist. I will continue to share the stories and voices of those who are silenced and those who want to be heard.

Avery Escamilla-Wendell is the web and copy editor and may be reached at [email protected] or Instagram @by_avery_escamilla