Life is so funny; you can find your calling completely by accident. Every minor moment comes together to create the major picture and as I look back at my life, I know that every misstep or mistake has led me to this very moment.
When I walked through the doors of The Highlander newspaper my first week of freshman year I could never have imagined that now — as the freaking EIC, how did that happen? — I would be saying goodbye to this place I have called home. For the past four years I have spent every day falling further in love with this organization and the amazing people who work here.
The butterfly effect is a real thing and I will stand by it. If I had never gotten kicked out of my high school’s mock trial team (because I sucked), I would not be pursuing journalism as my career post-graduation. This one little moment changed the trajectory of my entire life. After my advisor crushed baby Senna’s dreams, she rebounded to her high school newspaper. Joining that paper is one of the best decisions I have ever made, second only to the day I walked into The Highlander office for my first writer’s meeting.
It was genuinely the most intimidating and scary meeting of my life. Let me set the stage: it was 2021. The first Highlander meeting of fall quarter and also the first in-person meeting they had since COVID. I was the only writer there. It was cool though. I wrote two articles that week and now I am Editor-in-Chief, so now this story is funny instead of scary.
And just by pure luck, faith and the sole fact that the newspaper was hiring, my unqualified self was hired as Assistant Features Editor. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to Madison Rhines, the former Editor-in-Chief, and the former Features Editor Ashley Cho for taking a chance on little ol’ me. 🙂
Over the past four years, it has been a privilege to witness and participate in the amazing work and growth that goes on in the four walls of The Highlander office every day. From sitting in the production office till the wee hours of the night trying to finish the issue, to arguing with Miss Mata Elangovan at 4 a.m. on my couch about news edits, I will miss every moment.
There is no place like The Highlander. The amount of talent that pours out of the paper every week continues to shock me. I am astounded by everything, from the profound writing of the editors, beautiful designs by production, masterpieces and genius front cover designs by dedicated artists, the posts marketing work so hard on, videos that I look forward to watching every week or photos that are so amazing they honestly bring me to tears. I could not have asked for a more perfect newspaper staff to end my time with at The Highlander.
So, to The Highlander 2024-2025 staff, thank you for a fantastic year; you are some of the most talented and creative people I have ever had the privilege of working with. I will miss each and every one of you dearly, and I could not have asked for a better team of people to work with. Y’all are all amazing, and I cannot wait to see the great things that you will do with your lives.
Goodbye to The Highlander.
