Joining The University Star during my senior year has been a bittersweet experience. While I’m sad to be closing this chapter, I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve learned through writing for my school.
Growing up just 30 miles from San Marcos, I’ll admit I wasn’t exactly thrilled about going to college in a town I thought I had already figured out. Through my time as a student journalist, I came to see San Marcos in a completely new light. By uncovering stories I never would’ve noticed before, I discovered this town is full of so much character. Getting to share those stories with my fellow students is something I’ll always be proud of.
I think my favorite part of working at The Star has been the people I met along the way. I’ve always considered myself an extroverted introvert. I’m not great at initiating conversations with strangers, but once I’m comfortable, it’s hard for me to shut up. Because of that, interviewing was a challenge at first. But over the past few months, I’ve seen real growth in myself, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
One of my most vivid memories is from my very first story. I was assigned to cover the 2024 fall commencement ceremony, where members of the class of 2020 returned for a redo of their COVID-era graduation. Not fully understanding how commencement worked, I stood in the rain for two hours, unsure of what I was waiting for. When the ceremony finally ended, I ran around trying to catch families and graduates, nervously asking for quotes while feeling like I was crashing their celebrations. It was chaotic and overwhelming, but I got the interviews. Since then, I’ve felt my confidence grow with every story I’ve written.
I especially want to thank my family for always being my biggest cheerleaders — proofreading my drafts, listening to me break down story ideas and proudly saving every article. A special thank you to my mom, who was also my fourth-grade writing teacher. I’m sure you didn’t expect it would come full circle like this, but thank you for always encouraging me. And to my roommates, thank you for taping every article to the fridge like it was breaking news.
Finally, thank you to The University Star for welcoming me onto this incredible team, even just for a short time. And with that being said… is anyone hiring?
