I joined The Daily Texan in the fall of my freshman year. Seven semesters, over 100 newspapers and countless late nights later, I can’t imagine my time at UT without it. The Texan was the first community I found miles away from home, and I’m honored to have worked alongside such brilliant, passionate people.
I joined the Design department to learn InDesign. At some point, though, it became less about typesetting, fixing widows and orphans or laying out pages and more about the people I got to do it with.
Juleanna, thank you for taking a chance on me and letting me join the team. I still cringe whenever I think about the page I submitted for my tryout, but I know that’s just a sign of how far I’ve come. You, alongside Karina and Sara, were so kind and patient with me; becoming a department head felt like the least I could do to pay it forward and try to be the kind of leader you were to me.
To my past and current p-staff — Katie, Grace, Lauren, Catherine, Lilah — thank you for trusting me, even when I was learning as I went. Your patience and teamwork made the challenges feel so much lighter.
To my incredible design team — Genese, Sophie, Sam, Ava, Sofia, Ana, Marisela and Gracelyn — you are nothing short of amazing. I’m so grateful to have worked alongside such talented and dedicated people. Thank you for your hard work and your trust. I am so lucky to have had you on my team.
Lucero, words fail to capture what you’ve done for me. Your compassion transformed the newsroom into a space of support and belonging, and the care you put into the Texan continues to be felt by so many of us. You are a light and a blessing, and I can’t imagine my time here without you.
McKenzie, I deeply admire your patience, wisdom and strength. You are exactly the leader this paper needs, and I know people will continue to turn to you for guidance. You’ve been an amazing friend, and I’m endlessly inspired by your ability to balance empathy with resolve.
Amelia, you have been an incredible managing editor. Thank you for honoring the visions of the many people on this team and leading with grace. Your support empowered us to thrive.
To everyone who kept me company during print production nights — Alyssa and the Copy, Opinion and Photo departments — thank you for making the long hours something to look forward to. The food runs, playlist-making and silly conversations were often the highlight of my week.
As much as I love print, collaborating with multimedia departments as a digital designer allowed me to push myself in new directions. Chloe, in hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have given myself as much free rein as you did, but I adore you for it. You trusted me in a way no one else had before — I hope I made it worth it. Trinity, thank you for letting me experiment and expand what this role could be. You empowered me to explore, and that freedom shaped so much of my work here.
Madison, your vision for the Texan brought a breath of fresh air and a perspective I desperately needed. Thank you for creating space for me to navigate workflows and grow. I hope you’ll continue building on what we started together.
Newton, Athena, Manoo, Lorianne, and the rest of the multimedia team, our collaborations would not have been possible without your genius. Thank you for trusting me to bring your ideas to life — it was a privilege to work with you.
To the mentors who supported me as I took my first steps into leadership, thank you for your guidance. Cat and Carley, your advice and willingness to listen have meant the world to me. Jacob and Alfredo, I feel so lucky to have met you both at such a pivotal moment in my career. In some small way, I have the Texan to thank for crossing paths with you.
Peter, I don’t know how the Texan would run without you. Thank you for empowering me and everyone on the team to strive for excellence. Thank you for continuously checking in on me, advocating for me, and sharing your stories with us. Your support is far, far beyond satisfactory.
Of course, Mom, Dad, Sarah, Adrian and my friends on the outside, thank you for keeping me sane through every late-night and Sunday meeting. I love you guys so much.
Despite the hardships and rough days, I am thankful for the Texan. Peter always tells new staff, “What you get from the Texan is what you put in.” It is one of the greatest truths I know. I’ve invested so much time, energy and effort into this place, and I leave with something much more meaningful than InDesign skills: the friends and memories I’ve made here will stay with me long after I leave the Basement. Design’s purpose in journalism is to connect its writers and creators to their audiences. To everyone I’ve had the privilege of working with here, I hope I have told your stories well.
