Born and raised in the local Tinton Falls, one CHS junior has made one step closer to the big leagues of journalism.

Junior Caroline Collins was recently published on The Odyssey Online after submitting a column she’d written titled “What No One Tells You About Terminal Cancer”.

“I wrote my original article in the fall on the second year anniversary of my friend’s death, and I shared it with my family and friends, and they all had the same reaction. I figured I would try to share it on a bigger platform, to reach a wider audience,” Collins said.

The article received widespread attention, after garnering over 11,000 shares on Facebook and other social media platforms. The story was dedicated to her friend who suffered from terminal cancer, Collins said.

“My motive behind my first piece was definitely to honor my friend. I feel like the experience that I went through obviously wasn’t as difficult as hers, but it was difficult and it really shaped who I am. I think it’s a voice rarely heard, considering I wasn’t the one who had cancer, but I also think it is important, because there are more people who have loved ones who suffer than who actually suffer [themselves],” Collins said.

As a result of the massive success of Collins’s article, The Odyssey Online asked her to write a piece for them to publish every week. She said she would write about “whatever comes to mind.”

“I believe I have a strong personality, and I want to be able to develop a voice and share it with whoever is listening,” she said.

You can read Caroline’s article online here. You can view an article she posted on the Inkblot here.

Photo credits to Caroline Collins.