A few Chart staff members were lucky enough to travel to Chicago earlier this month for the National College Media Conference (NCMC). I was among the lucky.

I had never been to Chicago or a media conference before, so you can imagine my excitement to get to go and learn more about this crazy passion of mine and explore the city with my Chart family.  

We got to attend sessions each day we were there that covered various journalism outlets ranging from writing to interviewing, photography to designing and even social media. We got to eat Chicago-style pizza, visit the Navy Pier and cash our checks at the three-story Forever 21. Yes, I said three stories, girls. It would be an understatement to say it was an amazing trip. 

But while I was there I realized some things I wouldn’t have otherwise come to conclusion on. Everybody says that journalism is a dying field, specifically print media—the emphasis of my major. But I met hundreds of people at NCMC that agree with me when I say that it isn’t. I met hundreds of people who plan to have the same future that I do. 

There will always be a need for news. There will always be need for a good story to be written and there will always be a need for people to write them. 

NCMC reaffirmed my decision to be a Mass Communication major. I struggled with the decision a lot previous to our trip, because of the opinions of others. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to risk my future for this field. I could be good at teaching or nursing or even something in the criminal justice field. Or I could be an amazing journalist.

I think I’ll shoot for amazing.