Joining The University Star my freshman year was a rewarding — and challenging — experience. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions the past three years, but through the ups and downs, I found my place here at Texas State.
When little 18-year-old me first stepped onto campus, I wasn’t sure how to do my own laundry, let alone what I wanted to do as a career. I was just a very homesick teenager with no real motivations, but luckily, I remembered some advice my mom gave to me. She had told me multiple times, “You have to join a club, whether that’s band or yearbook or Greek life. You have to join a club!” Well, thanks, Mom.
No, joining the The Star didn’t stop me from making spaghetti every single night or teach me how to put on a fitted sheet, but it did give me the confidence and real-world experience that I will need for post-grad life.
My very first article was a feature story about Brad Engleking, a Grammy-winning alumnus. I remember being so excited that I managed to organize three interviews, specifically Engleking. The interviews all started with anxiety and ended with sweat stains. I don’t think that feeling of excitement and nervousness will ever go away; weirdly enough, it’s one of the parts of journalism I love the most.
I want to thank my mom and my dad for their love, guidance and support. They have always encouraged me to follow my heart and my passions. When I came home one weekend with copies of my first-ever article, my mom framed it and put it on the wall. Thank you for your sometimes-overwhelming support. I love you!
I would like to thank the professors who I couldn’t have done this without. Jessica James and Terry Burtling, thank you for your constant support and guidance throughout my time at Texas State. You two can expect many more emails post-graduation. To Kym Fox, thank you for being such a wonderful professor. It’s thanks to your encouragement that I applied for the Society of Professional Journalists scholarship, which I then received twice.
To my editors, Marisa Nuñez and Carlene Ottah, thank you for your direction and encouragement. I learned more from your edits than anything I have done for class.
Thank you to The University Star for being my constant over the last three years, and for showing me the power of the press. With that being said … is anyone hiring?
