When I stepped onto campus in fall 2022, I was a timid and lost young adult just trying to find my place.
If you had told 18-year-old me that I was going to be leading a whole media organization and write over 100 bylines, he would have looked at you like you were crazy. However, that’s exactly what I ended up doing, and I wouldn’t ask for my college experience to be anything different.
I joined The University Star in September 2022 because I had no friends and honestly needed something to do. I hesitated to join until I visited the student organization fair and saw who would soon be my future editor: Nichaela Shaheen. She talked with such charm and excitement that I applied immediately after.
I applied for every writing position that existed, not being able to decide what exactly I wanted to do. Quickly, I got an email from Shaheen asking to do an interview. Just a week later, I was hired and getting trained to be a reporter.
When she told me I had to interview at least three sources for every story, I almost quit on the spot. I wanted to write, but I was way too socially anxious to actually talk to people, especially strangers and those in powerful positions. However, a voice inside me told me to stay, and I knew quitting couldn’t be an option.
So, I stayed, and I started by writing a story on the dining halls’ response to the increased student population. I talked with students, dining hall workers and even one of the leaders of dining on campus. That story made the front page, and I got to see my name in print for the first time. That made me hungry for more and more.
I continued to write, and when Shaheen asked me to be her assistant, I was terrified, but I knew I needed to do it. That position allowed me to take over as news editor in May 2023.
As news editor, I gained experience in talking to strangers and leading a team of students who were mostly older than me. It was a tough but fun role I got to serve in, but once again, I was hungry for more.
When Marisa Nuñez approached me to be her managing editor, I said yes immediately. I actually wanted to be editor-in-chief at that time, but I settled for managing. That ended up being the best decision for my career. Under her wing, I learned so much about how to lead and methodically make decisions.
That leads me to this school year, where I took the grueling role of editor-in-chief. I knew it was going to be tough, but everything I had done up to that point led to EIC, and I knew I needed it.
This year was for sure my toughest, not just with having an elevated role but also having the most complex coverage we’ve done in my time. I couldn’t have done it, however, without my right-hand woman, Rhian Davis, who has stuck with me at The Star for all four years.
Through thick and thin, and complex stories, I have now made it out in one piece. I had moments of regret, hardship and sadness. I had times where I wanted to give up and leave, but that voice would always tell me to stay. Now, I do not regret it at all. If I were transported back to freshman year, I would still choose this organization to be my college experience.
This was my home for four years. While I don’t even know where I’m going to be in a month, I will look back on this with fondness and continue to keep up with this place after (make me proud, new e-board).
To Nichaela and Marisa, thank you for giving me the chance to grow in The Star and thrive. Without y’all, I would not be where I am today.
Rhian, thank you for being with me this year. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to navigate this crazy year with.
I couldn’t write this without talking about Krantz. Thank you so much for not just being my director but my support system and even a parental figure at times. I appreciate you allowing me to cry in your office and telling me to go home and take a break. I needed that so much, especially this year. I will miss you and our weekly meetings.
To my family, thanks for always supporting me and hearing my crazy stories. Thank you for telling me to stay even when I didn’t want to.
If any student reading this wonders if they have a place in journalism or elsewhere, you do, and stepping out of your comfort zone can sometimes open doors that you wouldn’t expect.
I never thought I would be here, but now, I can’t imagine my life if I weren’t. Thank you, University Star, for being the best four years of my life.
