It was Nick Birdsong’s dislike for a teacher that sparked his detour into a professional journalism career.

“My high school Spanish teacher was annoying,” he said. “So I went to my guidance counselor and begged her to remove me from my Spanish class.”

Newspaper journalism was the only class available. He wrote a few sports stories and began to take a serious interest in reporting.

“Journalism was the only thing I felt confident in. I never liked science and mathematics,” he said.

Birdsong was a talented high school basketball player who during his senior year traveled to Sweden and France as part of a Nike all-star team. He considered making basketball his career, but decided against it.

“I loved to play basketball but I didn’t want to have to play it like my existence depended on it.”

Birdsong, who had decided not to attend college, changed his mind after being invited to a Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University football game. The school impressed him so much that he decided to apply.

At the school he immersed himself in journalism, working on the campus newspaper, The Famuan, as a correspondent, assistant sports editor, sports editor, and co-news editor.

In the fall, the newspaper journalism senior will serve as managing editor of Journey, the campus magazine.

“I like magazine (journalism) because it has more flare than newspaper,” Birdsong said.

When Birdsong, the youngest of six, thinks of inspiration, his older brother comes to mind.

“He has always done things the right way and that inspires me to do things the right way,” said the 21-year-old St. Petersburg, Fla., native.

However, Birdsong said he feels blessed to attend The New York Times Journalism Institute, a two-week program designed to hone the skills of student journalists from historically black colleges and universities.

“My motto in life is to continue to do God’s will,” he said. “Everything that has happened was beyond me. I knew God has something planned for me.”

DE’ERIC M. HENRY