As you’re strolling through the Main Quad looking at different booths, it may not occur to you that clubs you join could drastically change who you will become within the next four years of college.

I definitely did not feel that way about the Daily Illini. When I joined at the beginning of my sophomore year, I wasn’t sure it would be a good fit for me. I had just changed out of a major that wasn’t right for me. I was looking for a fresh start.

Before the first week of school, one of my friends told me that we could get extra credit for one of our classes if we wrote for the Daily Illini—I’m not one to turn down extra credit.

On Quad Day, it took a while to find the booth. With over 1000 registered student organizations on campus, the Main Quad was filled with booths geared toward professional goals to booths that were just plain silly.

Once I finally found the stand for the Daily Illini, I talked to some of the people there and decided that it was something that I would want to try out. I was never into journalism in high school, but I loved to write, so I thought that maybe I could be good at it.

I came to the first meeting where I decided to write for the Life & Culture section. At first, I was confused and scared of messing up. I had never written an article before, what if I did something wrong?

But soon I started to learn the ropes of journalism. I began to enjoy talking to different people and writing about what I learned from them. I looked forward to the weekly meetings, knowing that I could ask my peers for advice on the stories I was writing.

Slowly, my articles became more detailed, and my word choice became more intricate. I began to pick up stories that I was not only interested in, but also passionate about.

The next semester, I looked for a leadership position and even ended up becoming an editor, something that I would never have expected looking around at booths on Quad Day.

It was at the Daily Illini that I developed my love for journalism. The Daily Illini helped me discover that this was what I want to do with my life.

So when you’re looking around on Quad Day, keep an open mind and try stepping out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s Greek Life, a club sport, or even a wacky club, you may find that it’s home, and you may even become a leader.

[email protected]