The semester is almost complete, and we are in our final days before this academic year comes to an end. I have been the Editor In Chief of The Pioneer since April 2021, and I have learned more about journalism than I ever could have imagined. The position taught me a lot about myself and what I hope to accomplish in my life post-graduation.

At first, 2022 felt so far away as a 17-year-old first-year college student, unsure of what I wanted to do after graduating. I went through three major changes from Photography to Business Administration to Communication, focusing on media production and journalism, which I’ve enjoyed. It pointed me toward working for CSUEB’s newspaper, The Pioneer. In 2020, I took my first journalism course, where I got a glimpse at what it was like contributing to a newspaper. Shortly after, a position opened up that meshed my passion for photography and interest in The Pioneer; I applied to be the Photo Editor, and not long later, I joined the team. 

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had while at The Pioneer was the opportunity to visit and stay in Times Square, New York, for the College Media Association Convention in March 2022. I got the chance to listen to seminars by journalism professionals from throughout the country, including New York Times’s Meghan Twohey and Jodie Kantor, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their investigative coverage of Harvey Weinstein. I also had the chance to visit the headquarters of Bloomberg News. 

The role of Editor In Chief was challenging at times but so rewarding. I grew as a journalist, leader, and individual because of these challenges. 

It has been my pleasure serving you all as Editor In Chief, and thank you for your continuous support of student journalism and The Pioneer. 

For anyone interested in writing and journalism, I encourage you to apply to The Pioneer. One of the newspaper’s core values is highlighting student voices and experiences. At first, writing journalistically was daunting, but with practice and support from senior editors and professors, I honed my academic writing skills into articles analyzing a number of topics with quotes and facts. Pursue your passions, don’t be afraid to try something new, and jump out of your comfort zone; you never know what could come from it. 

Congratulations to the Classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022! We’ve all been through so much these past few years, and I’m so excited for what’s to come and where we will go.

This is your 2021-2022 Chief, signing off.