Position(s): Arts Writer; Focal Point reporter, Winter 2022 Focal Point Senior Editor
Summer 2020 Senior Arts Editor, 2020-22 Arts Recruitment Chair
Section(s): Arts, Focal Point
Semesters at The Daily: 7
It’s hard to overstate how much The Michigan Daily has meant to me over my four years at the University of Michigan. After getting rejected from the Copy section, I joined the Daily Arts section the second semester of my freshman year, and I haven’t looked back since. Walking into the newsroom for the first time as a writer was a terrifyingly magical moment; the massive cavern of a room seemed to call to me, to engulf me. The steady drone of chatter across different desks lulled me into a sense of calm. The aggregation of different passions and talents enchanted me. 420 Maynard has become one of my favorite spots on campus. That semester, I found a home.
Even though I immediately knew I had found a special community, I had no idea my journey through The Daily would take the path it did. That first summer, the summer of COVID, I was Summer Senior Arts Editor and discovered a love of editing and reading the work of other people. The next semester, I was an Arts recruitment chair and discovered a love for introducing new people to this organization I loved. And the next year, the first semester of my junior year, I joined Focal Point and discovered my deep love for investigative journalism, for digging in deep and listening to the stories of those who have been silenced. Those several semesters when I worked on my first investigation were some of the most passionate and intense months of my college career. The 2 a.m. nights in the newsroom and hours of combing over interviews and talking to sources are memories that refuse to fade, lest I forget how much of my heart and soul I’ve poured into this organization.
The newsroom has been a space in which I’ve discovered a passion I never knew I had; even though I have always loved writing, journalism never seemed like a viable path to me. Now, as I graduate college with a dual psychology and english degree, I can rest easy with the knowledge that whether I pursue a career in psychology or journalism, I know I will be happy.
Along the way, I have met a host of people who have changed my life. The Michigan Daily is full of passionate, talented people who have welcomed me into this community, and allowed me to welcome others into it as well. My college career wouldn’t have been half as spectacular if it weren’t for The Michigan Daily, and I’m immensely grateful for the honor of being a member of this organization.
To The Michigan Daily, and all those who write for it, thank you. I owe you so much.