Think back to kindergarten and first grade. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Most of us have had a change of heart since then, some more than others.

Some have had a change of heart in the past few months and have switched majors or even schools.

From preschool through fifth grade, I wanted to be a lot of things.

I wanted to be a firefighter, a police officer, an astronaut and even a professional football and baseball player.

I really wanted to be a scientist at one point.

Things have changed.

Reading, writing and words in general never got along well with me. I loved solving math problems, studying geography and inventing things in elementary school.

I hated reading and I really hated writing. I liked that I could do it, but that was about it.

In fifth grade, I auditioned for my elementary school’s television station and was selected as the “Crew Chief” for the upcoming year. I read the morning announcements, directed morning shows and assisted with game shows.

I fell in love with television and had another change of heart. I wanted to work in the media.

Reading, writing and words started to grow on me in sixth grade. If I was going to work in the media, I had to befriend the trio.

I haven’t had a drastic change of heart. Since then, I’ve become a broadcast major with the intention on working in the media in some way, shape or form after I graduate.

I practiced my reading more and began writing poetry with an after school club. At Butler Junior High School, I wrote more poetry, won a poetry contest and worked even more at the television studio.

Reading, writing and words were still growing on me.

Our relationship took somewhat of a hit at the beginning of ninth grade. Greek mythology confused me, my English teacher was really critical of my writing and I was frustrated.

That only made me better. My ninth grade English teacher eventually changed the way I looked at words. He changed the way I read and he changed the way I wrote.

My best friend convinced me at the end of my junior year to take the newspaper class during my senior year. I needed an extra class on my schedule and wanted to get my feet wet with something other than a camera or a microphone before heading to college.

Herb Thompson taught that class and he changed my life.

I discovered the art of journalistic writing, the importance of the news in society and the endless possibilities that words have.

When I arrived at Point Park, Jon Andreassi was the Editor-in-Chief of The Globe. He is also a Butler graduate and a Herb Thompson product.

I started covering the Point Park Rugby Club during my first week. The players welcomed me and covering the team helped me develop my writing skills. By the end of the year, I had my own column and covered a number of different Point Park sports.

Kristin Snapp took over as Chief after Andreassi. Snapp was not only the second straight Butler grad to run The Globe, but the second straight Herb Thompson product.

She did a phenomenal job running this paper for two semesters. She hired me as the sports editor to begin my sophomore year. Three weeks into the year, I was approached about the Editor-Elect position and applied shortly thereafter.

Fast forward to now, and I am stepping up as the Editor-in-Chief of The Globe during the second semester of my sophomore year. Snapp became the youngest Chief in The Globe’s history to take over at the same age last year.

There’s something to be said about three straight Butler graduates, and three straight Herb Thompson students, taking over this paper. We also just happened to become Editor-Elect after working at the sports desk.

If you told me before my senior year of high school that I would become the editor of my college paper, I would have told you that I only wanted to work in television and sports, not at a newspaper, and that it was out of the question.

Well, if you told me that I wasn’t going to be a scientist in first grade, I would have told you that I didn’t want to do anything else.

Man, how things change.

No, I do not want to necessarily work at a newspaper after graduation, but Herb Thompson opened my eyes to what a writing background can provide.

I learn more and more each day how important writing is to a career in the media.

Whether it is working as a production intern in Minor League Baseball, hosting a show on campus television or writing the story of a women’s soccer conference championship, having a writing background is imperative to success in this business.

Reading, writing and words are everywhere. They’re everything.

We’ve had our ups and downs, but these three are more important to me now than ever before.

Welcome to 2016. I hope it is as wonderful as possible for you and brings you nothing but good opportunities and happiness.

Let’s begin this journey at The Globe together, and may reading, writing and words guide you throughout the year.

Because, why not?

Josh Croup, editor-in-chief