by: Kerry Lippold Jr.
Michelle Barnhart is one of the Prospectus’ student reporters. Originally from California, Barnhart has spent nearly her entire life in Champaign where she graduated from Centennial High School in 2018. In the fall of 2018, Barnhart began her journey as a Cobra at Parkland College by pursuing a degree in liberal arts and sciences.
Coming from a family with a journalism and reporting background, joining the Prospectus was an easy choice. Barnhart’s mother has a journalism degree and wrote for her college newspaper and her father is a sports broadcaster. She also has a passion for creative writing which she intends to pursue a degree in after transferring to the University of Illinois or Eastern Illinois University.
“My number one hobby is creative writing. I have been writing for as long as I can remember. For a long time, I wanted to be an actress so I would make up skits and plays and TV shows in my head and act them out at home or with my friends. Eventually, I realized that I was not a very good actress, and the whole time I was actually writing,” Barnhart said.
Her writing journey began early in her childhood. “When I was in kindergarten, I would write picture books and read them to my class. As I got older, I graduated to chapter books and eventually started writing a series that I still work on today… My goal is to become an author of young adult fiction or a screenwriter.”
“The Prospectus has helped me to step out of my comfort zone. I’m usually a very shy and reserved person, so approaching people for interviews is something I’ve had to get used to”
Barnhart initially joined the Prospectus in the fall of 2019. “I obviously love writing and I figured it would be a great place for me to explore and expand my skills, and also get more involved in the Parkland community,” she said.
When asked how the student newspaper has influenced her as a person and student, she responded, “The Prospectus has helped me to step out of my comfort zone. I’m usually a very shy and reserved person, so approaching people for interviews is something I’ve had to get used to. But I enjoy it; I’ve loved learning about things that are happening at Parkland and in the community.”
Along with stepping out of her comfort zone, Barnhart also mentioned that the newspaper has strengthened her writing skills. “The Prospectus has also made me a better writer. News writing was something I had never done before I joined, so it took some adapting,” she said. “As a creative writer, I’m used to going into a lot of detail and using flowery vocab and wrapping everything up or having a story come full circle… They say a good writer is one who is able to write in various genres and styles and being on the Prospectus has helped me to do that.”
Barnhart reported that what she enjoys most about the Prospectus is, “…seeing how everyone contributes to the paper in their own unique ways. Seeing the final product every Thursday is always fun. Everyone on the team is super talented and great to work with and I love the wide range of majors and perspectives.”
The student reporter has other interests outside Parkland. One of her interests is abnormal psychology. “I’m just really interested in the human mind and how biology and sociology work together to shape people.”
Barnhart also has a love for animals. She has many pets including a newly adopted pug named Charley and a cat named after the Hunger Games character, Finnick.
If you are looking to find out what is happening around campus, Barnhart is a perfect person to go to. Each week of this semester, she will be publishing articles to be distributed around campus in hopes of sharing what you need to know about day to day life at Parkland. Look out for her articles every Thursday in not only this edition but also future editions of the paper.
