Having an entire section in the Shield dedicated to friends and the friendships I made while at Westmont without mentioning the very class that runs the Shield does not feel right. Therefore, I am here to write about my own experiences with not only strengthening pre-existing friendships, but also creating new friendships that would transcend the walls of the Journalism classroom. Entering my sophomore year after a COVID-filled Freshman year, I was introduced to how Room 58’s class environment truly was. After all the formal introductions and whatnot, the friends who joined the Shield together set off a shockwave of comfortability and ease into everyone’s body. Seeing old friends like Laila Barboza and Rina Weaver gave me comfort in the fact I would not be alone throughout the year in the most relaxed class possible. After some time only really talking to these two I was placed into an article work group with Nupur Kudapkar and Heder Ambriz. Meeting these two would not only create a new friendship for the time working with them but also even to this day. Overall, taking Journalism not only allowed me to craft my own style of writing but also gave me the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people I have ever met.
