My college experience did not start on the first day as a freshman. It started when a random question popped into my head during the end of my sophomore year: Are you where you want to be?

After critically thinking for about two seconds, the answer hit me: Nope. 

I had no clue what I was doing in college. I was taking classes and studying, and I felt like I was missing out on something. I did not know what this something was, but I wanted to find it.

At the time, I gave myself two options. I could do the easy thing and just call it quits, but that’s lame. I am the first member of my family to enter a four-year university, and I had the opportunity to be the first to graduate in a field that I am passionate about. Why should I give up on one upping my siblings?

I ended up choosing option two which was to throw myself at the door of anything related to my field. Sure, I dug myself into a deep hole by not being involved with my department or field, but it’s better to start later than never.

Before the start of the 2023 fall semester, the Daily Aztec heard a loud thump at their door. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I knew I was going to take any opportunity that popped up.

Being a sports nerd, I naturally gravitated towards the sports section. I remember being nervous because I did not feel qualified to cover games, but I wanted to get better as a writer and journalist.

I began to test the waters, and I did coverage for a variety of sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and water polo. Each week was a new experience, and I was doing my best to become better.

Volleyball unintentionally became my beat during the fall semester of my senior year, and it presented an awesome opportunity from my editors to do coverage for a professional beach volleyball league. 

This opportunity became my most memorable experience and story with the DA. If you told me two years ago that I would be interviewing Olympic athletes, I’d think you’re crazy. 

Besides the great experiences, I was surrounded by an amazing group of people. Before my time at the DA, I was an introvert that was very pessimistic. A good combo, I know. I definitely had imposter syndrome when I first came into the newsroom, but my fellow writers and editors quickly made me feel that I belong.

My peers changed the way I viewed myself. Without them, I would still be downplaying myself and seeing everything in a negative light. 

While I had my fun during my time at the DA, I also had my shares of losing. I had to learn things the hard way or do things feeling like I had a hand tied to my back. Believe me, inconvenience is my good buddy. 

Professor Melissa Mecija assigns you to cover the 2024 CSU facility strikes. No problem! I’ll just wake up, get ready, and walk out the door to three to four feet of water. Well, my car is flooded, but I can go another day. It’s not like the strike will only last one day, right?

Things happen… but we have this cool ability to figure it out. Yes, these times will be stressful, but I became better at handling it each time my buddy wanted to say hi. 

By taking one little step, the course of my college career changed. I went from aimlessly going to school to doing meaningful work. It also took a bit of a hard realization, but we are going to forget about that part. If I ask myself the same question today, I can sit back and say without hesitation: I am where I want to be.

Looking back, I did not appreciate this experience enough, and I will miss my time at the DA. I am proud of what I was able to accomplish, and I can breathe easy knowing that I did my best.

Well, I rest my case. The good news is that you don’t have to hear from me anymore; the bad news is that you made it this far. Thank you to everyone that supported me throughout this journey. I enjoyed the ride, and I hope you all find your place in the world.