When I joined MiC in December of 2017, I was excited because I had an opportunity to share my experiences as a POC and help others do the same. Effectively elevating POC voices through writing. I was also excited because of my passion for writing and my hope to explore my own identities more. Through my year at MiC I’ve had the opportunity to accomplish and experience all of these things along with so much more that I never could have imagined.
Through Michigan in Color I have found friends and family, relationships that I will keep long after college and far beyond the newsroom. People who motivated me to write about what I was passionate about, even if that meant going beyond my comfort zone or making myself vulnerable. Friends that I could vent to when the world didn’t seem to recognize our existence. Friends who supported me and challenged me to broaden my views on topics I used to think were in my areas of expertise. These people have taught me love, strength, grace, humbleness and fortitude. They have shaped me into a better writer and even more importantly a better person.
So I want to say thank you to Ashley and Jason. For leading me and the rest of our section through the good times and the tough times. For never backing down from a challenge and for teaching us all what it means to be a leader. I want to say thank you to the rest of the section, for making me feel loved and accepted. Thank you for jeopardy nights at Jason’s apartment, thank you for Black Panther movie premieres, thank you for the skin care tips and celebrity gossip, thank you for 00’s pop brackets and for newsroom photoshoots. I’m going to miss all of you who are leaving and for those still here I’m excited for another wild year with you.
I am so grateful for that Michigan in Color gives me the privilege to share my voice on such a large platform. I am excited and ready to start this new year at MiC and to see what it has in store. I am ready to carry on the legacy of those who have left by making this community loving and supportive for all who chose to enter. And, lastly, I am ready to write and fight to keep this radical space, no matter what.