The World is ours: My brief bio
La Haine
My favorite story is told through the movie La Haine. The three protagonists spend the entirety of the movie feeling small, questioning their worth in a Paris that has turned riotous following the unjust murder of their friend. Towards the end, they sit atop a roof overlooking the city. "Je me sens comme une petite fourmi perdue dans l'univers intergalactique," one says. "I feel like a tiny ant lost in the intergalactic universe."
Watch the movie, and you will find out why they are not tiny. It is my favorite example of a life axiom I believe vehemently in: "Each of our lives is a Shakespearean drama raised to the thousandth degree," as said by Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. Accounting for over eight billion lives on Earth, we all experience heights, depths, tensions and conflicts that define our own world. I believe it is the writer's job to communicate those experiences to readers.
Down to brass tacks
In the normal course of a college introduction, one of the first questions is inevitably, "What are your majors?" "Math, poli sci, and comp sci," I reply. "So what do you plan to do with that?" is the following question. When I reply, "Journalism," the person is usually a bit taken aback. Mathematicians aren't journalists and vice versa, as the stereotype goes.
I'm pursuing the field of data journalism. At school, I focus on learning data analysis and visualization through undergraduate mathematics and computer science courses. Everything else I do is of a journalistic nature. I care deeply about writing stories, and I believe my inclination for numbers can bolster them in a career in data journalism.
What's come of it?
In 2022, I broke a story revealing that the University of Miami's most popular fraternity had chanted about raping and murdering women, and they had allegedly spiked the drinks of partygoers. What I believe is an open secret about Greek life conduct suddenly became a conversation across campus. The fraternity's chapter was forced into a permanent ban. This story came about through basic, meticulous reporting.
By focusing on the details, I believe a journalist can craft a powerful story out of anything. One of my favorite stories drew the connection between a small change in the University of Miami's financial aid Terms and Conditions to the potential loss of thousands of aid dollars for multiple students.