About Me My name is Aston Kinsella. I am a senior at Sentinel High School in Missoula, MT. While I enjoy drawing, music and Netflix, my real passion is journalism.
As a sophomore, I was placed in Sentinel’s yearbook class. I knew absolutely nothing about yearbook, thought journalism was journaling, and wondered how I ended up in the 500 building--an anex of the high school that hasn’t been updated since it was built in the ’50s. Little did I know that it would become my second home, my refuge from the drama of high school, and a place that has left a mark on me and my future in permanent ink. Within this class I was able to learn many hands-on applications of journalistic skills, including design, writing, and photography. I’d never been in a class before where what you did was real, where people paid to read your homework, and where if someone didn’t do their work it impacted the entire class. It wasn’t a class. It was a staff, and I belonged. Thus began my career that would lead to where I am now. At the start of second semester, I joined the newspaper staff as a reporter. I have a passion for writing, and this was the first time I was able to see my words being read, and discussed, by members of the student body on a regular basis. This class allowed me to not only expand my skills as a writer, but also learn new techniques and apply them to a real publication. I returned to school the next fall as Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, and Assistant Editor of the Yearbook. As a first year editor, and with a staff of only six students, we took second in the Pacesetter competition for best newspaper in the state of Montana. Currently, I have retained my position as Editor-in-Chief of the paper, and am Co-Editor-in-Chief the yearbook. In addition, I have joined the broadcast class, SpartanTV, and am an associate producer and reporter. I was able to continue my passion of photography and writing while taking on more leadership skills. |