As children, we’re told we can be whatever we want when we grow up. Some want to become astronauts, famous musicians or even doctors. But I didn’t want to be any of those things: I wanted to be a boy.

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After years of struggling with depression, severe anxiety, eating disorders, and often contemplating suicide, I came out as female to male transgender at the age of 13. I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t survive. 

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I’m 17 years old now and have been on testosterone for over a year and a half. While I may not be the first trans man, I certainly won’t be the last. Growing up as the middle child in my family, I didn’t feel heard within my household and because of this, I discovered writing as an outlet to express myself. 

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I've been telling stories for as long as I can remember. I began by illustrating and writing poetry and short stories. This led to me joining the yearbook staff my freshman year and also joining newspaper as a sophomore.

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Throughout my time on staff, I grew as a writer and challenged myself by delving into different forms of multimedia. Over time, I’ve also been able to find my own voice and because of this, I wanted to help others find theirs as well. 

 

I use my work to advocate for trans rights and issues that hit close to home, while also sharing the stories of PHS in a variety of ways. I’ve been Multimedia Editor for the Pitt Media staff for two years, which was the first time the program had a multimedia editor.

 

As an editor, I’ve encouraged staffers to develop skills for different forms of storytelling, whether it be through writing, photography, videography or podcasting. 

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In order to get each person on staff motivated to explore different ways to tell a story, I decided to create the “Not like Me” project where staffers cover diversity within our school by assigning themselves a story of their choice.

 

As someone who is a part of a minority, I believe that it is important to give people a chance to feel heard and recognized. After all, journalism is about activism, not selectivism.

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I've dedicated my time in high school to tell stories and help people find theirs. Because of how much journalism has helped me speak up, I can only hope that my work will help others as much as it helps me.