As this school year is coming to a close, I’d like to look back on what the past eight months have brought me. Coming to Northwestern as a graduate student in the fall, I joined The Daily as an op-ed contributor. After writing about a dozen articles, I am now a proud columnist. Following my undergraduate education, when I was the editor-in-chief of my school’s newspaper, it has been extremely gratifying to return to my roots as a writer. I missed that part of my life, and I was able to reconnect with it here at the Daily.

Journalism has always had a very special place for me in my life. Many people in my parents’ circle of friends were involved in the media as I was growing up, and I always had a liking for the written word.

Journalism is obviously so much more than the person writing the article, or the article itself. It includes the photographers, the copy editors, the editors, the fact checkers — all people dedicated and just crazy enough to accept the difficulty of each job needed to create a publication.

I have written in the past about the importance of history, how it shapes our society and future generations. Journalists are the keepers of a vault that contains all of our past mistakes. Journalists serve important roles in so many aspects of life, from checking our government to recommending a future “binge-worthy” show. Being a journalist was my way of being part of something bigger than myself.

If there is anything that my background suggests, it’s that I am not an artist. I have been a STEM-oriented student for as long as I remember and never really found a calling in the arts. That is why writing is so special to me. Joining newspapers has given me a platform to expose my ideas and concerns, to write about many controversial topics.

Something people often forget, especially when it comes to the existence of opinion journalism, is that we’re able to express our view on topics important or personal to us.

This can frequently lead to criticism or sometimes downright offensive attacks. I’ve been called a communist, naive, told I have no idea how the world works and to relax. However, if each and every one of us journalists were to relax, this world would be a much darker and scarier space.

Writing and reading about topics like immigration, human rights and reproductive rights are a few of the things that really keep me going. When I get to writing, what comes out goes beyond what only I think. It allows me an avenue to speak about issues I care about and that affect people around me.

Amongst the many negative and angry reactions I’ve gotten from my past writings, I was able to have more humane interactions with people that connected with my writing. A Northwestern student reached out to me to thank me for writing an article about the complicated relationship immigrants can have with their host country. A professor contacted me after an article I wrote on the value of a citizenship test in a country where citizens seem oddly unaware of the answers in that test. Finally, a non-profit organization “applauded my courage to write my piece” on the repetition of history.

Those interactions have made me realize the importance of the work I do. And if I, a columnist in a student newspaper, can have a positive impact on people around me, it is worth every angry email I have ever gotten.

Being able to write has also helped me personally. Writing about issues I am concerned about but do not necessarily encounter have improved my understanding and appreciation of the privilege of being a journalist. I am able to have a platform, something many people with more important messages than me sometimes struggle to find. Maybe I run the risk of being insulted for my views and position on some issues, but I don’t have to fear for my safety — or worse, my life — for anything written on those pages.

Hearing my fellow colleagues at The Daily write about representation in the newsroom has also opened my eyes to the issues of diversity in journalism. I am learning every day from my experience here, and am always grateful to have a place in this incredible community.

Sometimes I ask myself if it really is my place to talk about some of these issues. I can talk about my experience as an immigrant, but being a white, legal immigrant with a green card doesn’t even really compare to the experience of someone who doesn’t share my skin color. People who look like me take up a lot of space in newsrooms all across the country.

However, I find that my conversations with people around me that my role in the newsroom is important. Journalists have a duty to give an avenue for those who have a voice but aren’t always heard. Issues of injustice and problems in our society, regardless of whom they affect, need to be reported on and commented on. And when there is inequality in the newsroom, it comes down to the people that do have access to this platform to promote the voices that are underrepresented.

I started out writing mostly for me. When I feel something is unjust, writing about it is my way to cope. I am slowly acknowledging that my writing also impacts others that might feel the same way, and that it goes beyond just my personal experience. I’m getting more comfortable writing about myself and my opinions, and my appreciation for the impact of journalism has only grown with it.

Marcus Thuillier is a first-year graduate student. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.