In less than 10 days, I’ll be graduating from Mills and departing the Campanil’s chief news editor role. It has meant a lot to me to be a part of this newsroom and to publish articles that I hope our readers found informative. So, it is with equal parts sadness (to be leaving) and excitement (for the future) that I’m saying goodbye.
Beginning at Mills, I had honestly not planned for journalism to be more than a minor. I had not planned to be part of a student-run newspaper.
But Achy Obejas, then assistant adjunct professor teaching journalism, did more than look at me; she saw me.
I had never written an article; I had no newsroom experience. Despite this, Obejas encouraged me to pursue the chief news editor position.
To this day, I still don’t know what she saw in me, but I am grateful that she did.
Being a part of the Campanil has fostered a great love for reporting. So, looking back, it’s wild to think that if not for Obejas I’d be on a different path.
I also feel that this experience is part of something larger: Mills has a lot of great professors that see their students. In addition to Obejas, I have spent many an hour in the offices of Martha Johnson, associate professor of political science, and Keli Dailey, assistant adjunct professor of English. Their teachings and counseling have truly impacted me; I’ll continue to use these learnings into the future.
On a side note, I sincerely and highly recommend taking one of their classes.
I hope that each student on campus finds the professor(s) that sees them. I hope that they are led to experiences that spark interests and develop passions, whether old or new.
It has been an honor to be your chief news editor for the past three semesters. Thank you for agreeing to interviews, reading my articles and, above all, being curious about the news.
Thank you to the newsroom staff for being a part of this journey with me. Whether it’s been the best of times or the worst of times, we have always come out as a team.
This edition of the Campanil is the last I’ll be a part of; and soon I’ll be stepping off this campus. Yet, I already know that my experiences at Mills will linger in every subsequent piece I write.
Endings are sad and beginnings are scary, but it’s the middle that counts.
