Prep senior Colin Bish has been a fan of sports for years. He has played football since sixth grade and loves everything about the dedication and perseverance of it. When he was younger, he did not have many obvious aspirations for his future. He just wanted to enjoy the moment.
When he heard about the Journalism program at Cathedral Prep, however, he wanted to get involved immediately.
“I started to learn more about journalism, specifically sports journalism, at Prep, and it kind of just took off from there,” Colin said. “I believe I talked with Dr. McLaughlin about Sports Journalism and he said there was a sole Journalism class taught by Mr. Hubert. I asked Mr. Hubert about it, and I am very grateful he put me in the class for my junior year.”
Journalism allows Colin to combine his love of sports with his love of writing. Not only that, but he gets to share his love with anyone who wants to hear. He takes this very seriously.
“I have loved football for years, and I love every aspect of the sport,” Colin said. “I was actually the statistician for the baseball team my junior year so that experience taught me a lot about baseball and has made me love that sport as well. To be able to talk about its history and its future stars warms my heart.”
He could not be happier with the opportunity he has been given at Prep. He started in the position of Junior Editor for The Rambler during his junior year at Prep, and his experience was fantastic.
“I really wanted to take off with Journalism and never look back,” Colin said. “I learned so much as Junior Editor. The older editors, along with Mr. Hubert, helped me so much with learning how to write good articles. That’s how I led up to being Senior Editor this year.”
Now that Colin has graduated up to Senior Editor-in-Chief, he has more of an opportunity to write about what he cares about. His confidence has grown immensely.
“I believe the first article I ever wrote was a preview for our 2020 football season and I talked with a bunch of different football players,” Colin said. “I’ve written so many different articles by now. The articles I like the most now are the article I did on the Houston Texans and definitely the article I did for my godfather. He is a graduate from Prep, and he gave such great answers. It really propelled me to enjoy writing articles not just about sports but about Prep as well.”
Colin has found a passion in journalism, and he is not planning on stopping any time soon. From the moment he started writing, he knew he never wanted to stop.
“My future aspiration for journalism is to go to St. Bonaventure University,” Colin said. “It’s a small campus in New York, and it has one of the best Journalism programs in the nation.”
Colin has even started thinking about what he wants to do with his life beyond college. He has had many people tell him he is going to work for ESPN one day, but that is not the route he is thinking.
“I really want to take the route of podcasting and individual work,” Colin said.
One of his main inspirations is a podcaster named Pat McAfee. McAfee is an American businessman who is currently signed to WWE. He is a professional wrestling commentator, and he used to be a starting punter for the Indianapolis Colts. His podcast, The Pat McAfee Show, is something Colin really enjoys listening to and drawing inspiration from.
“He [McAfee] is just himself, and I think that is really important,” Colin said. “I don’t want a company to define me. I want people to feel my opinions. I want them to know that they are real.”
Mr. Hubert is the faculty adviser for The Rambler, and he has known Colin since Colin started at Prep. He has watched Colin grow not only in his writing but also as a person.
“Getting Colin in Journalism last year when he was a junior was like night and day,” Mr. Hubert said. “It was clear from day one that he was highly motived to be successful, and he demonstrated that in his role as Junior Editor. I was most impressed by how his writing improved from freshman year to junior year.”
Mr. Hubert commends Colin for writing articles outside of his personal interest of sports. Colin’s skill set as a writer and a reporter makes him more of a well-rounded journalist.
“This year, as Senior Editor-in-Chief, Colin has embraced his role as a student leader of The Rambler,” Mr. Hubert said. “As a teacher, it is rewarding to be able to teach the same student over multiple years to watch that growth and maturity. I am proud of the progress Colin has made and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish this year and beyond.”
