Through my nine years working on five different yearbook committees, I never once imagined I would eventually defect to newspaper. In fact, the first time Jason realized I was a computer science honors major working in the design department, he asked me, “What are you even doing here?” 

Three semesters later, I still don't quite know the answer, but regardless, I know that joining The Daily Texan has been one of the best decisions of my college career. It’s been three semesters of wrestling with InDesign, of making underappreciated (in my opinion) design memes, of begging management for pizza during tryouts. Three semesters of spying on my fellow staffers (especially Lisa) in order to find the perfect quote for funny weather, with just the right amount of walking the line between hilarious and slightly concerning. Three semesters of racing against time one night every week to get everything uploaded and approved, the midnight deadline looming over me like I was some kind of design Cinderella.

Of course, I couldn’t have accomplished so much without the support of my amazing design editors. Thanks, Andrea, for introducing me to design at the Texan and encouraging me to apply for senior. Thanks, Mireya, for taking this bizarre journey with me from TWHS yearbook to The Daily Texan newspaper; may we both continue to embody the mantra, “What would Hal do?” Thanks, Christiana, for being super dependable and for planning awesome design socials that bring us together as a team.

I’m sad to be leaving you guys (well, not that sad because I’m leaving to go study abroad in Singapore). I’m going to miss all the memories I’ve made here, like copy’s parody of The Office, eating Oreos off of my own face for one of Peter’s challenges and that feeling of unadulterated pride and delight when I come up with a particularly creative design idea. I guess that’s what I’ve been doing here all along: having a good time and making the paper look pretty.