Photo courtesy Marquisha Mathis

I was born in Mobile, Ala., but grew up in Baton Rouge, La., with my mom. I attended Crestworth Middle School and Mentorship Academy for high school. I'm 22 years old, and I currently attend Mississippi College where I'm majoring in mass media communications with minors in theatre and journalism.

A friend referred me to the Jackson Free Press when I was looking for an internship at the beginning of this semester, which led to me getting brought on as a freelance writer. I love to write, and I hope to receive opportunities to practice investigative reporting, which stems from my love of reading stories and watching shows that deal with true crime.

I'm graduating in May, and my dream has been to attend graduate school at Columbia University in New York to study journalism. I have applied and am hoping to hear back within the next two weeks, fingers crossed. Once I have completed my master's degree, I would like to work for NBC4 or The New York Times! I am also in the process of writing my first book, so I would love to do an overseas book tour one day with Amsterdam as one of my spots to visit.

During my senior year of high school, I had the chance to visit Los Angeles for a whole week, during which time I visited Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Studios and the Original Farmers Market. I learned a lot about myself during this trip, and I even took photos with some celebrities.

I love people, and I love talking to them. I believe there is something interesting about everyone in the world. Later in life, I dream of having my own talk show, where I would incorporate segments inspired by my favorite Disney Channel shows, favorite boy bands, my experiences during my 20s, and goings-on in the world including news, trends and opinions.