Position(s): 2022 Senior Editor, Summer 2022 Co-Managing Editor
Section(s): MiC
Semesters at The Daily: 7
I always knew I wanted to be a journalist growing up and I envisioned myself writing for news and even potentially becoming a news anchor. So when I came to college and tried pursuing other career paths… I quickly ended up at 420 Maynard (Shoutout to Ms. Servillo, you always knew I’d become a writer!) and luckily landed myself a spot at Michigan in Color.
I joined The Daily my freshman year of college during the Fall 2019 recruiting season. Originally, I started working on news and shadowing the staff there, but when COVID-19 came along and we were all sent home, I decided to take a step back from writing.
It wasn’t until the Winter 2021 semester that I began writing again. I heard of Michigan in Color from my wonderful friend Gabrijela. Gabrijela and Anamika were the managing editors at the time. Within my first week writing for MiC, my idea of the career I wanted to pursue completely shifted. Michigan in Color is an unprecedented section where creativity, community and advocacy unite. To be a journalist means to tell the truth and help people recognize the current events happening in the world. At Michigan in Color, I learned how to portray news from an intersectional lens to share my experiences and what the world looks like from my point of view with the Michigan community and beyond. My time at Michigan in Color made me realize that the meaning of journalism and the change it can bring to the world is more intricate and complicated than simply telling the truth, for the truth can be shared in a variety ways.
I’d like to thank Michigan in Color’s founding members for ensuring there is a space like MiC in the newsroom. The work you’ve started has inspired me to continue writing even after my time at The Daily. I will continue to hold the values taught to me wherever I go.
Thank you to Anamika Kannan and Gabrijela Skoko for believing in my writing abilities sophomore year. You’ve inspired me to keep writing in a time when I thought I was done. I am eternally grateful for your encouragement and constructive criticism because it’s what pushed me to write again and it has shaped the career I will pursue.
Thank you to Jessica Kwon and Eliya Imtiaz for being phenomenal managing editors during my final year at The Daily. It was the two of you pushing me to tap into my leadership skills that made me Managing Editor of MiC during the summer of 2022.
Thank you to Andrew Nakamura for being my Co-Managing Editor this past summer. I couldn’t have done it without you and nor would I wish to have taken on such a beautiful role with someone else.
To those who’ve edited, read and helped me publish my work, I am eternally blessed that you have given me the platform to share my passion for writing.
Finally, a quote I’ve always heard in high school is “It’s not about you, but those who come before and after you.” Thank you to my Michigan in Color family for the wisdom and knowledge you’ve bestowed unto me. It was truly an honor to write, edit and publish work in a section so unique like MiC. The community and sense of belonging I’ve found is none like any other and cannot be found anywhere else at the University of Michigan. To my current and future staffers, I encourage you to uphold our mission and continue to advocate for the truth. For it is not about you, but those before you and after you. While the work we do now can sometimes be overwhelming, it is what will continue to challenge the field of journalism and foster change.
Not all “goodbyes” have to be sad, nor do I consider this a “Senior Goodbye.” I know I’ll always be connected to MiC, whether it is through reading the work of future columnists, sharing the art from our graphics teams or consuming MiC content curated by our social media team. I cannot wait to see the way our section continues to flourish and grow in the upcoming years. Cheers to the future and the many blessings it will bring.