saw some seniors working on their portfolio and submitting their application my freshman year, but at that time, I didn't think journalism would leave such a heavy impact on my life.

I thought I would be a broadcast student throughout all four years of high school, clearly that didn't happen and a few unexpected situations were thrown my way. Regardless, I have loved every experience I have been a part of and everything I was able to learn through my encounters with different forms of media.

When they announced the Texas winner at the 2025 ILPC convention, I knew I wanted to apply. I had been exposed to so many forms of journalism, it only made sense to put my story out there. I got home and immediately created the outline for my site on WordPress.

I poured many hours into building my portfolio, and there were many hiccups through that process as well. The Thursday before the deadline, I refreshed my site. Sitting there was a notification from WordPress saying they had suspended it. The panic I felt in that moment was incomparable to the stress I have felt for any other project. I stayed up the entire night rebuilding my site on Wix, hence why it is no longer WordPress. 

Creating this site has allowed me to relive my high school journalism career. I have seen how I left a legacy on the programs here. My name is on the wall from awards I have won, the graphics I designed are still in use, the yearbook has the words “Photo by: Shaarika Kaul” 64 times, and the format of the broadcast show, as well as the way it is planned, is the same. It has solidified the gratefulness I have for being part of something impactful. Every story I have told holds a special place in my heart.

Though I may not be pursuing a career in journalism, the principle ideas that motivate me stay the same. Some may think medicine and journalism have no correlation, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The skills I learned that allowed me to connect with people are what will allow me to provide for them and give them the care they need.