“Hey, Trisha.”

“I know someone who’s thinking about joining The Sidekick.”

“Oh really? Who?”

“Me.”

The conversation above is exactly how I decided to join The Sidekick. Being in the class was supposed to be a place where I could take a break from the workload I would get in all of my other classes. It was meant to be a chill, responsibility free elective.

I entered the school year in person later than most. After a few weeks, I entered D hall in the back of the school. It was dimly lit, different from the rest of the hallways. It gave off a unique feeling I could not seem to place. It was a little jarring for me to come down there on the first day; I had no idea what to expect.

I finally approached D115. Hiking up my backpack straps, I walked in.

The room was not what I imagined it to be. I thought it was going to be a dusty room stacked with old newspapers and notebooks to write articles on. When I looked around, I was greeted by large laptop screens and desks full of activity. The walls were covered with plaques boasting accomplishments staffers had earned over the years.

I did not see any of my friends, including the one who introduced me to the program. I felt alone. As I sat down at an open table, the adviser came up to me. Mr. Wofford.

He was also not what I envisioned. Instead of being an ancient and withered scholar, I was met by a man in a polo shirt smiling at me. He broke down the newsroom quickly and gave me an assignment to complete.

On my first day.

I was overwhelmed and scared. I had no idea what to do and my pride did not let me ask for help. I was in over my head. I was trapped for about a total of two weeks.

I somehow managed to make friends with other first-year students (later I found out we would be called “first years” for short). We quickly developed inside jokes and a routine for every “A” day. And, I started to get into what I was doing.

I was always a writer. It was a fact I would not deny. But an article writer? It could not be me. But, then it was for me. I developed an interest in areas I never thought I would.

Ending the first year was eye opening and why I continued in The Sidekick; I became devoted to the class I wrote off. I applied for a leadership position and became the staff cartoonist. I thought my second year would not be better.

But it is. I found my best friend and my calling. I know now what I want to continue in my life in my future endeavors. Every class period is filled with a mixture of laughter and content. It became a family without me realizing. The adviser became someone we could joke with and have fun.

As my senior year is coming to an end, I have begun to appreciate the program more than I thought I would. The opportunities to improve and gain outside experience I have been given has helped me further my education, too. From slightly dreading coming into class, I look forward to it everyday.

So, why am I still in journalism?

Because, somehow in the past two years, it has become a part of who I am. It went from pure coincidence to an active choice.

D115 has become a home.

Follow Maya (@mvpalovalley) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter