As a native Louisianian and the Monroe News-Star's newest sports reporter, it's been a dream of mine to write full-time in my home state.
I had a dream nearly 16 years ago.
Before the New Orleans Saints won their first Super Bowl, I was an eighth grader with dreams of being a New York Times-bestselling writer and appearing on "Today" (my mom’s and my favorite morning show) to promote my novels. I knew I was one step closer to fulfilling those dreams every time my mom smiled while reading my loose leaf paper stories.
But after seeing Drew Brees hold the Lombardi Trophy and his then-infant son, Baylen, I dreamed about sitting in the Superdome’s press conference room one day, interviewing Brees, Jimmy Graham and Sean Payton about a game-winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons.
I dreamed about finding the words regarding Tracy Porter’s pick-six of Peyton Manning, LSU nearly losing to (but eventually defeating) Tennessee in Death Valley and how the Yankees continued to set standards after winning their 27th Fall Classic.
From there, my dream of being a sports reporter in my home state was born.
I lived in southeast Louisiana nearly my entire life, graduating from Mandeville High School in 2014 and LSU in 2018. My mom went to Saints games at Tulane Stadium, and it was also cool to know Payton lived down the street from my school.
Among my favorite memories while at Mandeville were the pep rallies, hearing Kenny Chesney’s “Boys of Fall” blaring through the hallways on gameday mornings, going to Raising Canes or the Mexican restaurant next door to school after wins or losses, even selling jewelry for a club I was in outside of our baseball games.
I particularly remember a postseason football game Mandeville played against West Monroe my sophomore year. While the temperatures were below freezing and we fell one game short of our first state championship berth in program history, the Rebels won their eighth overall title that year and have appeared at state two more times since then.
Things have come full circle for me since that game. I’m proud to be the newest sports reporter for the News-Star, and I’m grateful the dream of writing about sports fulltime in my home state has come true.
I’m eager to tell the stories of what drives northeast Louisiana’s athletes and coaches, why Monroe-area teams consistently win state titles, the one particular play that defines a championship season and how amazing it is to support these communities as a family member, an educator or, simply, a fan.
Merry Christmas everyone! I’m excited to announce starting Monday I will be the new sports reporter for @thenewsstar!
— Treasure Washington (@Twashington490) December 25, 2025
It’s been a lifelong dream for me to be a sports reporter in my home state, and I’m super excited to write about high school sports, ULM, LA Tech and Grambling! pic.twitter.com/V05pkMHTTZ
Last March, I freelanced at the LHSAA girls basketball championships in Hammond, 11 days after moving back to Louisiana from Evansville, Indiana. It’s a 10-hour drive from my hometown to Evansville, but I enjoyed my three years writing for the Courier & Press about Hoosier Hysteria, multiple state champions, a college transition into Division I athletics and another college baseball team that fell one game short of the Men’s College World Series.
I wrote in March about Lafayette Christian Academy clinching its fifth consecutive title in Hammond, but I also saw Cedar Creek close out a historic season at state, giving everything it had against Southern Lab despite falling short.
The Cougar faithful in the University Center’s stands were one of the biggest crowds I’d seen throughout the tournament. I truly felt the hair on the back of my neck stand when Cedar Creek ran out onto the court before tipoff while being cheered on by its fans.
I can’t wait to immerse myself into more communities that care so deeply about their high school and college sports. I look forward to writing about college football for the first time, even fulfilling the dream I had when I was 14 of sitting in the Superdome’s press conference room.
I’m ready to open up this next chapter in my life as a sports reporter for the Monroe News-Star and hope you will join me along the way.
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Meet new Monroe News-Star sports reporter Treasure Washington
Category: General Sports
