By Kyle Litson, Mesa (Ariz.) Community College

When I was a junior at Window Rock High School in Arizona, I interned at the Navajo Times as a reporter. I didn’t know much about journalism. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. That was in 2005 and it turned out having the courage go inside and try was the best thing I could have ever done.

Going to the Times was actually my first desk job. Prior to that I was a “zoo-keeper” interning at the Navajo Nation Zoo feeding the turkeys with a stick in my hand. I knew I wanted to be a writer but just never got any kind of hands on experience like I did at the Times.

As a fresh intern full of spirit and creativity I knew that a great opportunity was ahead of me. Writing the story of a high school football camp for the Times, was then one of my biggest stories. Knowing it wasn’t a big paper, the story made me feel accomplished.

This sucked me right back the next year, the summer of my senior-year. It wasn’t the money that brought me back. It was the thrill of going out on the field with my little Geo Metro and getting to know the people, while I interviewed them. Best of all it was the by-line having everybody on the “Rez” looking at my name in the newspaper.

It was during that last summer of my internship at the Navajo Times when I knew what my career choice was going to be. It was going to be a magazine writer. I’m not sure why I choose this field but I knew that writing either for entertainment or sports sounded immensely fun, I love both the same.

The idea of me visiting unfamiliar places meeting unique people, all with their own special story, would never be dull.

After those two great summers with the Navajo Times, I went off to Arizona State University in fall of 2006. Having great dreams of being a reporter I enrolled as a full-time student and had my dreams smashed very quickly.

It wasn’t because I didn’t go to class and try to get good grades but I was just in dire need of a job. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with all the college work and having no income. I dropped out to find a quick job.

However, that quick job – managing a local movie theater – practically turned into something of a career. It pushed aside my dreams of graduating and becoming a magazine writer.

The only good thing I got out of it was some supervising experience and learning how to pop up some great popcorn. It was this past year that I finally told myself that I can still follow my dreams and continue my goals if I enroll into school.

As of now I’m on my path toward becoming a writer. I’m a part-time student at Mesa Community College. As luck would have it Jason Begay, director of Reznet and former employee of Navajo Times, asked me if I was interested in this website he’s directing.

Knowing Jason from Navajo Times I thought this couldn’t be a bad thing. Thanks to Jason and the Reznet team I’m on the right road to becoming a magazine writer. With this experience I hope to continue my journalism life and continue to grow as a person and writer.