Introduction: Who, What, When, Where & Why I am Writing.

Photo by Ali Akdemir

It seems that I have received my master’s degree and I have a clear path of what I want to do but, I am not sure how to execute my plan. So, here's to throwing a dart and seeing where it lands.

Hello, I’m Sam. I’m a freshly graduated student from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I have earned my master’s degree in English—along with my bachelor’s degree—and I am free from the academic stressors that have created significant roadblocks in my creative process. When I had tedious papers to write, research to complete, and books to be read, I often found myself pondering about the creative work that I wish I could be doing instead of my studies. Well, the time is here and I’m ready to start my creative journey.

First, I am a journalist. Yes, I am working on calling myself a journalist because that’s what I would classify myself to be. In broader terms, I am a writer but for the purpose of getting to know me, I am a journalist. I pursued a degree in the hopes of being a high school English teacher but, that took a hard right (no turn signal or any indication) when I sat down in my first introduction to journalism course. Oh, how I fell in love at first sight.

I wanted the work that I produced and put out into this chaotic world to serve some type of purpose—entertainment, informative, or insight—instead of simply filling in a void or an empty space on a bookshelf. Journalism changed that for me. We, as a society, rely on journalism more than we give it credit—compared to those who claim that they "never read or watch the news", how do you stay informed then? Ahhh, must be nice to have the privilege of being purposefully ignorant. We are here to tell the stories, inform the public, and (quoting a peer of mine) to be “professionally nosey.” Really, I just like knowing what’s happening and keeping myself and others informed.

I’ve been writing for local news outlets for some time now—roughly four years now—and I plan to continue writing. Now, you’re probably thinking, Okay… we know what you do professionally, what is the purpose of this blog? Simple answer: to write about the things that isn’t necessarily “professional” journalism but, areas of interest, in need of a voice, and overall content that I think is worth writing about.

You’ll find an array of content here that is more than the typical Substack content, like Things to Make Yourself Smarter or 10 Reasons Why Men Suck posts, but; instead, you will find well researched and thoughtful pieces to give you new tidbits of information but (hopefully) expand your perspective and broaden your horizons. Hey, I didn’t get a master’s degree just for it to sit elegantly on my wall beside my bachelor’s degree because it felt lonely.  

My time as a student journalist and now journalist, I have been exposed to so many parts of my community that I wish to share with others. In a time where everything is filled with AI slop, the world being in a constant existential crisis, and most importantly, the lack of critical thinking and literacy skills, I want to be a part of that change. I’ve also learned over the span of my 23.5 years that I have been walking this planet, that not everyone is the same. Everyone and everything has its own story, and I’m here to share that.

I’m also here to break stigmas around certain topics, especially for the representation that the “younger generation” (Gen Z and now Gen Alpha) get for growing up and developing in the current times. It’s scary out here. We are uncertain about our future and what it is going to look like for us. Additionally, we are the future. Not AI. Not social media. Not our current administration. It’s us. We are the future. We have a voice and we need to be represented as well.

So, if any of this sounds interesting to you, well, buckle up and follow along! It’s going to be one hell of a journey and I’m excited! I hope that you are, too, and maybe you will learn something every week by checking in.

I hope that you stick around and read. Maybe, just maybe, something will stick.