It was a few weeks into my freshman year when a couple girls from my J 304 class took on the stage at the auditorium to announce them and some others were about to have their first Daily Texan stories published.

Everyone clapped and cheered — professors, students, TAs. It was an incredible moment for them.

But back in my seat, I felt embarrassed. Two weeks earlier, I had received my rejection email.

“Why not me?” I thought to myself.

The next semester, I was faced with two choices: dwell in defeat or try again, and I decided on the latter. I finally got in, but my moment of pride didn’t last long. Soon afterwards, in another class, we read a Texan story written by another one of my classmates, also a freshman. Under their byline, it read “senior reporter.”

Embarrassment again. Why were they building their career faster than I could? What was I doing wrong?

Six semesters after my initial rejection, I write this piece as a department head.

Throughout the past nearly three years writing for The Daily Texan, I stopped comparing myself. I didn’t let the tears that fell down my face as I read the “We can’t offer you a spot in the staff” email in the study room at the Castilian stop me from continuing to try. I didn’t let getting a no from p-staff stop me from having the semester of my life and making my name known newsroom-wide. I didn’t let getting demoted back to senior reporter after spending a summer as desk editor stop me from working my way back up.

At the end of the day, I can’t control how others move, but I can control myself. I write this piece with a heart full of gratitude for all the opportunities I’ve had, all the people who believed in me, and for the insecure Isa who would be so proud of where she is now.

I need to start my long list of thank yous by thanking the one who rejected me in the first place, seriously. Jordan Mitchell was the associate editor at the time and covered the football beat. Still, she took the time to meet up with me and help me get better before reapplying in the spring.

Thank you, Christina Huang, for welcoming me into the department and being the greatest leader. I used to message Christina all the time to ask the silliest questions about the Texan, until I started bothering her with editing and leading questions. Now, I still text her about entering the professional world. And she answers! If I can be 1% of the leader she’s been to me to the newer writers, I’ll know I succeeded.

Thank you, Evan Vieth, for giving me a spot in p-staff and preparing me for taking on the sports editor role after you. Big shoes to fill, for sure!

I must also thank Manny Ramirez, my beat partner for a whole year in the women’s basketball beat. What a journey we went on, from Austin to Portland. I’m so proud of the work we did and of everything you’ve done since leaving the Texan.

To my basement crew — Zach, Anna, Meaghan, Alistair, Nick, Sophia, Charlie, Alyssa, Matthew — thank you a million times for making me excited to go to work. We’ve transformed the sports department from the quietest, least social one in the Basement to the loudest one. I love each and every one of you as much as Anna likes Dollar Beers and Matthew likes “saving democracy.” I’m so excited to see everything y’all do next!

Though she is part of that same group, I need to write a separate paragraph for the greatest associate I could have asked for. Lauren Hightower is like superwoman in my eyes. She is a neuroscience, pre-med student who does journalism and waterskis in her free time. She is the person who brings her genetics homework to the men’s basketball press box and writes a killer story before the deadline. We’ve gone from covering offseason soccer together in our first semester to being on the men’s basketball beat together and leading this department. I’m SO proud of us. I know sports is in the best hands with you, I can’t wait to see you thrive!

Thank you to our adviser, Peter Chen, for all the critiques, good and bad, and for supporting our staff every single day. Thank you for your dedication in helping us grow as writers and leaders. I wouldn’t be the same without you!

My biggest thanks have to go to my biggest fans, my family. From thousands and thousands of miles away, they read all of my work. They don’t only read them, but also ask every possible question in the universe. They want to know how I approached my subject, how my writing process works, how I come up with pitches and how editing goes. Thank you, truly, for caring so much, for taking the time to support everything I do. I learned a lot from them — resilience, leadership, determination. I wouldn’t be here if my family weren’t willing to sacrifice so much to send me to another country at 16 to follow my dreams. Obrigada, obrigada, obrigada!

Thank you, Daily Texan, for the best years of my life. I’m forever grateful.