The first time I applied to the Daily Texan, I was rejected.
I was so excited to apply the second I got accepted into UT, convinced the newsroom would help me find my footing in college. Instead, I got a simple “no” after I had already built it up as the place I was supposed to be.
When that didn’t happen, it felt bigger than it should have. It felt like everyone else had already found their place, and I was the only one still searching.
So I stopped trying.
Two semesters later, I applied again, not because I had a big realization or renewed confidence, but on a whim. I didn’t think too hard about it, and I didn’t expect much to come from it.
That is probably why it worked.
I spent three of my six semesters at UT in the newsletter department, including my time as associate newsletter editor. Those semesters shaped much of my college experience. They gave me something consistent to return to, something that grounded me when everything else felt uncertain.
More than anything, it gave me people.
Jewel, thank you for being my first friend on campus and for encouraging me to apply, even though I had already written it off. You are one of the hardest-working and kindest people I know. Our first conversation was about being roommates, and while that never happened, I still found a home in you.
Maia, thank you for always being down for anything and for consistently being the most whimsical person in the room. To my artsy, cat-loving and buoyant curly-headed twin: never stop being the person you are. You are going to go so far in life with that heart and those morals.
To my best friends from home, Ash and Angie, thank you for listening to every rant, every spiral and every small win along the way. You were there through all of it, even miles away. Long-distance friendship was not always easy, but I find solace in knowing that soon you’ll be only 15 minutes away. Dutch Bros is calling us.
To my parents and siblings, thank you for being my constant. Even when you did not fully understand what I was talking about, you still supported me through it all. My childhood self is beyond grateful we’ve gotten closer.
And to the Texan and newsletter department, thank you for being the thing I almost missed. This experience taught me the beauty in rejection. Everything will fall into place when it’s meant to, and after these 3 years, I truly believe that. Thank you for the late nights, the deadlines, the routine and even the stress. You gave my college experience the structure I needed and a community I did not expect to find.
After graduation, I plan to complete my teaching certificate and begin teaching elementary school. This means I am still signing up for chaos, just with smaller desks and early mornings instead of late nights.
The Texan did not just teach me how to write, edit or meet deadlines. It taught me how to show up, how to listen and how to care about other people’s stories. It taught me to be part of something bigger than myself.
Those are skills I will bring into my classroom and whatever comes next.
So no, I am not leaving with a career in journalism. But I am leaving with something I once thought I might never find here, a community and a version of myself I would not have become without it.
