When I transferred to California State University, East Bay I had just changed my major for the third time. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life on or off campus. I eventually settled on communications because of the flexibility of the degree as well as the positive track record of the department at CSUEB.
I’m from the small town of Brentwood, California that has recently been shown as much more than just a corn town on the edge of the East Bay. Current events and politics aside (for now) I made my first ever trip to Hayward after two and a half years at Los Medanos College in nearby Pittsburg, California. I had struggled with finding who I was and many other personal hurdles before even leaving the small bubble I had grown accustomed to in Contra Costa County. Fairly severe anxiety made this one hour drive feel like a lifetime, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Hayward has become a second home for me and the memories I’ve made here will stick with me for the rest of my life.
After my first semester at CSUEB, I got an offer from The Pioneer to intern as the Sports Editor. An avid sports fan, the job catapulted me onto a known career path for the first time in a while. I walked into The Pioneer office and I knew from the first day that I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief before I graduated. The feeling of seeing my name and my work published in such a widely-read publication lit a fire under me and pushed me to excel in journalism in order to reach my goals. The following semester, I became a paid staff member and was promoted to Managing Editor under then-Editor-in-Chief, and my good friend, Ethan Alonzo. With his guidance and support, The Pioneer had an excellent fall 2019 semester.
As COVID-19 hit last semester, I was saddened to see our physical copies of The Pioneer stop production. After countless hours of discussion and Zoom with Dr. Nolan Higdon and Dr. Kate Bell, The Pioneer was ready to shift to an online presence until further notice. I know once we get back to campus I’ll be able to pick up our weekly paper again, but for now, the online publications will have to do.
I’m so proud of what The Pioneer is today and I’m incredibly grateful and blessed to say that I’m a part of such a great team. I have a truly amazing staff and an outstanding set of mentors that I know I can reach out to anytime I lose my way.
Perhaps my biggest supporters, outside of my family, are my brothers of The Delta Chi Fraternity. They have aided in making Hayward feel like I belong there and, for that, I will be forever grateful.
I am beyond excited to become Editor-in-Chief and I cannot wait to see what my staff and I can accomplish together!