The photo above was taken in 2010. This new decade meant starting as a freshman at the school where my parents met, Corona del Sol High School and starting on a magical journey of figuring out who I’m meant to be.

On this day I was touring the Channel 3 News station with our East Valley chapter of National Charity League. I’m 15 years old here. We got the opportunity to not only tour the studio but also meet with news anchor Javier Soto. There is so much magic and excitement in a news room. I knew from this moment here that I would one day sit at that anchor desk again. Looking back, this day continues to remind me of where I started, where my dream were born and where I want to end up.

Fast forward to my senior year in high school when I participated in Arizona’s Distinguished Young Woman program and the host was Arizona’s Fox 10 news anchor Kristin (Anderson) Smith. I remember asking her if I should be a news anchor and she told me, “Well someone’s got to do it, why can’t that someone be you!”

Two years later I am studying Broadcast Journalism at Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles and hosting my school’s news show Capture. In a crazy round-a-bout way I ended up running into Kristin at a Fit Day LA event. Today she is my mentor and dear friend of mine. It’s crazy to see how our paths have crossed again.

Often times when people hear I want to go into the field of journalism they warn me and say it’s “too unpredictable” and “always changing.” Surely it is scary going into a rapidly evolving profession but for some reason life keeps steering me down this road. I recently heard a quote that said, “If it feels like home, then follow its path.” Journalism feels like home to me.

One thing I know for sure is that with the faith of a mustard seed I can do all things. One day I will post a photo next to this one above and be living proof that with hard work dreams come true. I want to remind girls who were once scared of pursuing their dreams to never let fear stand in their way.