A million questions flooded my mind as I speculated about what could have possibly happened to land a human skull in such an inaccessible location.
A second glance around the scene reminded me I was going to be the first reporter to have access to this story. The police had yet to arrive and KSL was still on the way. My blood was racing as I was given an opportunity to tour the attic where the skull had laid for years unnoticed.
I walked out of the house talking with the Dupaixs and organizing a story I knew was going to be on the front page the next day.
The excitement of Monday was intoxicating. As a reporter, it’s the kind of story I live for. But it’s not the reason I chose journalism.
Just like every other kid, I clung to the phrase “You can be anything you want to be when you grow up.” Throughout my childhood I wanted to be a teacher, a police officer, a lawyer, an archaeologist and a psychiatrist.
Needless to say, as I reached my last couple of years of high school I had no clue where I was going to end up, but somewhere in that pivotal time of my life I fell in love with the power of words. I really enjoyed writing and found it the easiest way to express myself. I have to thank my English teachers for recognizing my ability to write candidly, because they were the ones that set me on the right path.
The first time I considered a career in journalism it felt like something had fallen into place in my life. As I thought about what being a reporter meant, I realized it checked off quite a number of careers on my list of dream jobs.
First and foremost, it is my job as a reporter to serve as a watchdog to the community around me, alerting the public to important changes, problems and trends in our community. Secondly, I am a recorder of human history, and must compile my information as accurately as possible. After those two obligations, I seem to find myself brushing up against other professions.
Sometimes I feel like a therapist as I listen to people rant and rave or cry about the events in their lives. Every once in a while I can be found guilty of trying to persuade just as a lawyer would, although sometimes only to play devil’s advocate. And although I might not literally uncover an ancient skull buried deep in the earth, I am uncovering the mystery of a skull buried under years of history.
But the very best thing about being a journalist is learning something new every single day. I get to sit down with some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet and listen to what they have to say.
I’ve only just finished my first year of journalism school at Brigham Young University, and I feel like I’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to learn and do. But there’s one thing I know and I know it for sure: Everyone has a story, and I like hearing them all.
ntripp@tooeletranscript.com
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