Someone using my work...!!!

I am going to write on how it feels when someone uses your work and does not give you credit. When I was in highschool someone used an entire article I had written in journalism for the paper. They took my article and switched a few things around and then turned it in. I was hurt and upset because I had worked on that article for an entire semester. I went to the teacher, then the counselor and then the principal. I had to provide proof that it was my original work, then provide them with a copy of what the other student did. After a week or so of going through things and records of this other student. It was deemed  neccesary for school officals to deem it as plagarism and that student was expelled. I got plenty of other people mad and angry with me, but I can understand why people who write want credit for what they do. It was my work, my tears and thoughts and sweat into that paper for someone else to steal it was mortifying and well lets say very upsetting. lol. Either way I can understand the importance of citing other's works to give them all the proper credit.