When I made it to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) after years of dropping in and out of community college, working millions of jobs and letting life’s side quests take me around, I wasn’t sure of where exactly I’d fit in. I was grateful to be in the position to give being a full-time student another shot, but the possibilities seemed endless. I knew I’d only have about two years here, so I had to make them count.
I seized every opportunity to do something interesting with my time, from joining different student organizations, becoming a board member for one, getting a job that put me all over campus, doing editorial work for two different student publications, studying abroad and casually writing articles for The Highlander. I started by writing a couple of film reviews and think pieces for Radar, but it was mostly for fun, and I didn’t really have the desire to commit to becoming a staff writer.
My excitement for taking my writing in the newspaper more seriously blossomed once I wrote a few articles for the Penrose Record Room. I owe it to my friendship with those at Penrose and the inspiration that the record store gave me for the confidence in my writing and capability to step into the role of a journalist. When I applied for the position of Assistant Radar Editor near the end of fall of 2024, I wasn’t privy to the profound impact that this decision would have on the rest of my time at UCR. Joining the team was my favorite opportunity I was granted while here, and my only regret would be that I didn’t do it sooner.
My time on the editorial board has been marked by learning more about life and the world than academics could ever give me. I’ve had the privilege of helping produce meaningful work with a group of people that have more passion, drive and guts than anyone else I’ve met. Everyone jokes that you do this kind of work not for the money, but for the love of it, and for better or for worse, this is true.
However, this job has given me more in experience than money could ever really amount to — from having a safe haven on our busy campus, getting to travel to New York City and to meeting some of my best friends (shoutout to Kelley and Holly). I love everyone at The Highlander and feel honored to have spent my last year of undergrad with them, even when they call me a senior citizen (thank you for humbling me, Mata). When I really am a senior citizen, I know I’ll look back on this time with a smile.
