I’ve been a member of the Arlingtonian for three years, with my freshman year being used to train me for the role. I’ve seen and shaped major alterations, and, over my time writing and editing, I’ve learned a lot and grown a lot.

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First, I’ve become a person who is more in tune with my community and the people within. From hearing heartbreaking stories about a girl’s fight against addiction to people’s silly eight-word answers to eight-word questions, I’ve experienced almost every part of the UA community. This has made me more sociable and more understanding of what runs and ails the area where I grew up—the area I love.

Also, I’ve become so much more news-savvy throughout my time within the organization. I am able to skillfully craft stories that impact those around me, becoming the conduit for them to share their opinions and ideas.

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This idea of being a conduit has exemplified itself time and time again—even one of my first stories was centered around giving a voice to someone without. I interviewed a student who belonged to the LGBT community, allowing them to describe their trials as well as their happinesses. Then, the following year, myself and Caroline Chidester covered the opioid epidemic that was, and still is, sweeping Ohio. We allowed those who suffered the most, those who couldn’t talk about their ailments for risk of punishment, to get their story out there, with a goal of improvement in our minds. Even last year I covered Blake Haxton, whose story is so inspirational and both heart wrenching and heartwarming that I believed the student body needed to hear it.

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In doing this, in giving a voice to the voiceless, I believe I have left a positive impact on my community. Even if my name is not remembered in a couple of years, I hope that my stories thrive, inspiring and informing every student who passes through.