Thrifting is a hobby I picked up in college, one I found a lot of enjoyment in and noticed pretty much everyone around me doing too. So when I had the chance to write a reported story for a journalism course in my final semester at UW-Eau Claire, I knew exactly what I wanted to dig into. I am not a journalist by training, but I genuinely wanted to understand the topic at a deeper level, so I went out, talked to people, and actually reported it. That part surprised me in the best way.

The story explores what is driving younger generations toward secondhand shopping, how thrift stores and organizations actually operate behind the scenes, and the more complicated question of whether buying secondhand is as sustainable as we tell ourselves it is. It ended up being one of the most rewarding things I made in college because it combined research, real conversations, and writing about something I actually care about.

When I finished it, I pitched it to Volume One, an independent local publication out of Eau Claire, and they published it. The full article is linked below.