My name is Justin Diep and I am in my third year on the staff of Omaha Bryan's The Orator Newspaper as Editor-in-Chief.
I was always a good writer. Throughout my time in school, teachers would praise my writing but I wasn't really sure what else I could do with it other than writing essays for a grade.
Sitting in the library in 8th grade registering for classes I picked Journalism 1-2 as an elective because it seemed interesting but little did I know then taking that class would change the course of my high school career.
I started my involvement with the journalism publication as a volunteer photographer for The Crusader Yearbook. The Yearbook staff was in need of cross-country photos and as a student that excelled in the journalism class, the teacher Ranae Duncan trusted me to take a camera out in the field to shoot photos which did end up in the yearbook.
Since that moment I fell in love with the program. Our assignments to write stories also cemented my desire to join one of the publications. I wasn't really sure at the time if I should join the yearbook or newspaper staff but Duncan encouraged me to join the newspaper.
In early 2020 I wrote a column about city developments within Omaha and Duncan asked if I wanted it published in the newspaper. It felt great knowing that my work was worthy enough to be published.
Riding this high I asked if I could write about the potential impact COVID-19 would have if it reached Nebraska for an assignment. Unknowingly The Orator staff at the time was planning on doing an in-depth coverage piece on COVID-19 and I was invited to contribute as a freshman. The staff welcomed me with open arms and at that point, I knew I wanted to be with the newspaper.
The school year abruptly ended during spring break so that coverage of COVID I did never got published but it gave me the experience that cemented my path to be on the newspaper staff.
In four short years, I went from a guest reporter to now the one in charge of the entire show.
