Sophomore Asanti Bekele is one of the newest members to our Southerner staff and is full of inspiration and energy.

Her interest in journalism was sparked late last year while doing an English assignment that involved writing a comic about a historical revolution, she says that this project got her “Interested in informing other people on what’s going on.” Bekele’s love of the written word goes beyond just writing, she also considers herself an avid reader as well.

One of the people that she finds an inspiration is Chimamanda Adichie, a nonfiction writer and Nigerian immigrant that Bekele found from watching a Ted Talk. “I got inspired because she took what she had and made a change,” she said.

When Bekele isn’t at school or reading she can be found playing soccer for South, though she doesn’t get to serious about it and just likes “having fun”. This year she began taking a college prep class and hopes to study law and politics after she graduates high school. Bekele hopes that post-college she can find a job that lets her combine both of those skills.