I started my journey with The Highlander during the 2021 winter quarter amidst the turmoil of the pandemic. I found myself sitting alone in my on-campus apartment desperately needing a creative outlet. Writing for The Highlander during the pandemic allowed me to feel more connected with the UCR community. I was very fortunate to be able to join The Highlander team as the Assistant Opinions Editor this year. I was paired with the amazing Evelyn Homan who I know for fact is going to make an excellent managing editor next year. During our time together as a team we managed to take the opinions section in an incredible direction. Being able to highlight the different opinions of students on campus was the best part of the job. 

Throughout my time at The Highlander, I have learned so many valuable lessons. From formatting in AP style to being able to operate WordPress with my eyes closed. I have gained so many new technical skills that I know are only going to help me moving forward. When I first started writing for The HIghlander I had long discarded the idea of working in journalism. But since then, I have fallen in love with the job all over again. If you ever came to a writers meeting this year (Mondays @ 5:15) you’ve probably heard me say how the opinions section is the best. Even though that statement may just be my honest opinion, I believe it to be true. 

As the Assistant Opinions Editor, I had the pleasure of being able to work with an amazing team of contributing and staff writers. Each week I was completely blown away by sheer dedication that they brought to our section each issue. Having such a close connection with the students on campus has always been one of the best parts of working for the newspaper. Seeing how students react when we cover a story that directly affects them is always so fascinating. For decades now The Highlander has given students a platform to voice their opinions. Sometimes those opinions are met with immense backlash and that’s okay. 

For me, being able to write for the opinions section allowed me to shine a spotlight on issues that directly affected students like me. From immigration to labor practices across the state of California, even sharing a little truth about political icons. Being able to work alongside such an amazing team of editors this year is something I’ll never forget. All those long nights in the office, the amazing discussions we shared during editorial meetings. Working for The Highlander has truly been one of the best parts of my senior year. The only regret I can say I have is not getting involved with the Highlander earlier in my college career.