I thought I wanted to be a lawyer.

Many people told me I’d be a great one. I’m stubborn, public speaking isn’t my kryptonite and sometimes, I’m cocky — which seems to be a decent combination to be a lawyer. After hearing the compliments three dozen times, I thought I could be one too. Then, reality struck. I despised my law and logic classes in college, and frankly, I didn’t want to go to school for three more years of my life.

I was stressed, anxious and unhappy for four months, until I applied for a part-time circulation clerk position at my hometown newspaper, the Times News. I didn’t get the job, but I ended up with a paid full-time internship — every college student’s dream.

This newspaper has been ingrained in my childhood. I fondly remember my grandmother with her legs crossed, sitting upright in her chair reading the obituaries, and my father laying the newspaper perfectly flat on the dining room table paired with his evening cup of coffee and cookies.

My first day was May 13, and I was terrified. The excessive sweat and nerves subsided until my editor asked me to cover Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s listening tour in Jim Thorpe that evening. At that moment, I realized I wouldn’t be the normal coffee-pouring intern, I became a journalist.

At the listening tour, I couldn’t get a clear picture, I fumbled with the notepad and I was mortified to ask people about this controversial topic. I thought there was no way this story would get published, but the next day, there it was on Page 5.

The next three months became the most rewarding experience of my life.

I met local dignitaries, covered township meetings, explored historical landmarks and became witness of raw emotion — both of joy and sadness. These moments cannot be taught in the classroom, and the skills I gained are invaluable.

If I truly wanted to become a lawyer, I would’ve spent all summer studying for the LSATs in my bedroom, but instead, I went out of my comfort zone and provided my community the daily news.

Years from now, the papers will decay and today’s technology will be obsolete, but I will remember the memories and friendships I created during those three months of my own self-discovery, and I’m forever grateful.

Huntre Keip is a graduate of Panther Valley High School and a senior at Lebanon Valley College.