I didn’t take the same path as other journalism students.

I wasn’t involved in anything related to my career path until junior year. Now, this wasn’t because I didn’t want to or didn’t know where to start. It was more so because I wanted to get the feel for college life. 

Living by myself. Making new friends. Going to class. Finding a job. All that stuff.

But there came a time when I needed to actually find something in my field. That’s when I found The Daily Aztec. I started as a contributor in my third year, with a desire to write any kind of sports story. 

I jumped on every opportunity I could, covering volleyball, women’s basketball and golf, which led me to landing an opportunity as the co-sports editor going into my senior year.

The experience was unlike any other. Working with writers, communicating with sports information directors and continuing to write stories that I was passionate about; these are all aspects that have built who I am as a sports journalist. 

Although being an editor was time-consuming and was a large commitment, changing a lot of my day-to-day life, I wouldn’t trade it for anything and I’ve never felt so prepared for my future. 

Thank you to everyone at The Daily Aztec for not just being great coworkers, but true friends that I can turn to — especially Roman Aguilar, my co-sports editor. I wouldn’t have been half the editor I was without his help through everything. 

I’m so proud of the work Roman and I have done for the sports section, and I’m positive we have left it in good hands. I will miss this community so much and I’ll always have a place in my heart for the DA.

When I first joined The Daily Aztec in 2022 as a freshman, I was amazed by just how welcoming the newsroom staff was. Not only that, but I was amazed by the optimistic, positive-minded, collaborative people who surrounded me. When I took in the smell of newspaper print, the sound of people talking about the sports and teams I love and story pitches of things I would’ve never thought we could cover, I knew I was in the right place. 

The Daily Aztec has been a huge part of my college life. It feels second nature. At this point, I’ve probably mentioned the DA more in the past three to four years than anything about school. 

What’s kept my love for our student newspaper hasn’t been the away-game trip opportunities or long nights writing a story after a game, but the community that makes up The Daily Aztec and the audience who reads our stories. 

When I became sports editor my sophomore year, I was met with an editorial board that was nearly all seniors. I had the biggest imposter syndrome. Former editors like Noah Lyons, Serena Neumeyer, Jazlyn Dieguez, Sam Hockaday, Hannah Ly and countless others helped me feel confident in myself, not only as a journalist but as a person. 

That instilled a feeling of wanting to carry that same energy to those around me as I remained editor for my next two years to my underclassmen contributors and editors alike. I hope I did that. 

Thank you to my fellow co-sports editors: Eric Evelhoch, Jacob Fogelstrom and Nick Edgar. Without them, nobody else would’ve been able to bear my random thoughts while getting as much content out as we did. 

Thank you to Jesse Marx, my biggest mentor in journalism, and someone who’s made me a better writer and thinker.

Four years ago, I stepped onto the campus of SDSU as an international student from New Delhi, experiencing the States for the very first time. I was thousands of miles away from home, but instead of fear, I felt excitement. I was ready to take on a completely new chapter of my life, and SDSU quickly became a second home.

College was never perfect. It was stressful, exhausting and at times overwhelming. I made incredible friendships, and I also outgrew and lost some along the way. But looking back now, all I can remember is the love, the laughter, the experiences and the feeling that somehow everything worked out in the end. 

Every challenge that once felt life-ending now feels so small compared to all the joy these years gave me.

This place gave me opportunities I never imagined possible. Because of this university, I got to study abroad in London and travel to China, experiences that completely changed the way I see the world and myself.

One question people constantly asked me throughout college was how I managed studying economics and journalism, two majors that had absolutely no correlation with each other, within four years. 

And honestly, I think I handled it so gracefully because I was surrounded by so much support and encouragement that I never truly felt the pressure of doing it alone. 

I especially want to thank Professor Amanda Ulrich, who always saw potential in me and continuously pushed me forward. 

I want to thank Ravi Ganjoo, a presence that was always there when I needed a shoulder to lean on. 

And most importantly, my mom, who cheered me on from thousands of miles away and remained as steady as a pillar through every high and low of this journey. 

And honestly, SDSU’s scenic campus definitely cured at least part of my seasonal depression.

I don’t know exactly where life will take me next, but I know I will always cherish my time at SDSU.

I never imagined The Daily Aztec becoming the family that it did when I first joined.

In fact, I was too scared to join my freshman year because I thought anything I submitted would probably come back torn to shreds. That definitely wasn’t true, so I joined at the beginning of sophomore year after deciding I needed to lock in.

It brought me so many friends before I even joined the editorial board, but after becoming a part of the staff, the bonds I formed became even stronger. I grew so close with people that were only acquaintances before, and I really feel like I found my voice as a writer.

I still remember coming home after covering my first event, an Iota Eta Pie improv house show that the 2023-24 arts and culture editors pitched to me. I was gushing about all the interviews I did and the story I was going to write.

That first time seeing “by Felicity Desuasido” on our website was so surreal for me. Being arts and culture editor has been my dream since I first joined, and I’m so glad I got to see it come true.

I’ll miss A&C and the whole DA so much; it’s truly been an amazing three years, and I can’t wait to see what the next board will do.

Since I can remember, I always thought I was going to be a doctor. To be a doctor was the culmination of everything I enjoyed in school, everything I thought I was good at.

I stayed true to this path at the beginning of my college career, taking too many math, biology and chemistry classes to, now, reasonably, have on my humanities transcript. This train went off the rails the summer before I was supposed to transfer to a four-year university, when I took a cultural diversity writing class, taught by Alexa Mokalis, watched “Spotlight” and fell in love with writing in a way I hadn’t previously. 

I had never written creatively, and being able to choose my topics turned the chore of writing into something that I wanted to do constantly. On an impulse, I decided to switch my major, and I fell headfirst into the laundry list of switches I had to make to succeed in journalism.

SDSU was one of the only universities I applied to in California, but after deciding on journalism, I knew it was the right option because of the JMS program.

From my first week, I attended meetings for The Daily Aztec, and in no meeting did I feel as creatively seen as the first meeting run by the 2024-2025 editors, Isabella Dallas and Naiima Paul.

Being able to write about whatever I was most passionate about in any given week inspired me immensely, and in my first semester, I wrote at least one article a week because I could not get enough. 

Now, after two years with The Daily Aztec, I will be attending Columbia University to get my master’s in journalism. So thank you to The Daily Aztec, Isabella, Naiima, Jesse, Alexa Mokalis and Mark Ruffalo for helping me fall in love with writing.

Go Lions!

I always knew I wanted to leave home for college and find my own path. SDSU was not my dream school. Funny to say, I applied to SDSU to meet the fourth free CSU application requirement my high school offered.

Now, I’m about to be the last child in my family to graduate from a four-year university as a first-generation Mexican American.

Why journalism? 

At first, I didn’t even know. I planned to go into sports medicine, but AP Biology changed that path.

Journalism came to me during the 2021 NBA Finals when I saw Malika Andrews on TV reporting on the sidelines.

Fast forward; I’ve written 150 articles, completed a photo assignment, anchored The Daily Aztec Live five times and produced 18 Instagram reels. 

Thank you to Lourdes Cueva Chacón, Ph.D., for supporting me from the beginning and pushing me to grow.

Thank you to Olivia Vargo and Isabella Hodges, my ride or dies since we met. If y’all don’t already know this, I love you, chicas. 

Thank you to Ivana Bustamente Rojo and Esmeralda Hernandez Cardenas for sticking by me during my time leading Mundo Azteca and helping keep the section alive. 

Thank you to my professors and Jesse Marx for challenging my creativity, sharing their knowledge and helping me grow as a journalist and person. 

To everyone I didn’t mention, I appreciate and love you all.  

Thank you to the organizations that have shaped me: The Daily Aztec and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists at SDSU.

I served as vice president and president of NAHJ SDSU and as Mundo Azteca editor for two years.

I hope that my time here made an impact, as many of you have made on me. 

It’s hard to wrap this farewell with all the adventures I’ve had these four years, but it’s time for me to start a new adventure and take on the world.

When I was younger, I never thought writing was something I wanted to pursue. Sure, I wrote short stories and drew comics, but I really wanted to be a musician, a fashion designer or a princess. Now, these are still attainable goals, but I believe I’ve found what it is I’m going to do: be a journalist.

I attribute a large part of this discovery to The Daily Aztec. I came to SDSU undeclared, and decided on journalism based solely on a slight fascination in reporting. I started writing for the arts and culture section in my second year, where former editor Natali Gonzalez encouraged me to keep writing. I covered concerts, events and movies, and even considered adding a film minor because of my passion for the art of film.

I ended up adding a minor in French and studied abroad in Chambéry, France, which helped me become fluent. That summer, I interviewed for The Daily Aztec in the middle of a lemon grove in Sorrento, Italy, at 10 p.m. with a little bit of wine in me. They must not have noticed (or they enjoyed my authenticity and enthusiasm for the job), because I was hired as the opinion editor. 

I loved editing opinion stories (and writing them), but it wasn’t until my final semester here that I figured out which part of journalism I want to work in: magazine and feature writing. I owe a lot of this to Professor David Coddon, whose class allowed me to explore magazine creation. 

In the fall of this year, I will be attending Northwestern University to pursue a Master of Science in Journalism through Medill’s magazine and digital storytelling program. 

I would like to thank everyone with whom I worked at the newspaper, you are all good people and great journalists. I can’t wait to see the work you do in the future, hopefully we’ll cross paths again someday. Thank you to Jesse, you are honestly one of my biggest inspirations. And thank you SDSU, what a great four years this was.