There is beauty in rising through an organization.
I take pride in the way I climbed The Stute ladder. Beginning freshman year, I threw myself into Stute production by becoming a Layout Assistant. I was worried that I was not involved enough in The Stute, so I became a Staff Writer. I did not write a lot, but if something caught my eye, I tried. I will admit, I was not very good.
My first Stute election came up in March 2024, when I ran in a contested race for Layout Editor. It was one of the most horrifying experiences I have had on this campus. But in the end, it gave me the confidence I needed to consider running for Editor-in-Chief (EIC). I spent my entire year as Layout Editor trying to get my layouts down to a science while also debating if I was good enough to be EIC.
In the last two months before the March 2025 elections, I was a bundle of nerves. I asked too many questions and took on some EIC responsibilities that still fell under Layout Editor jurisdiction.
And then elections came.
I look back on it now, and laugh, but I remember hearing my heartbeat in my ears. I was sweating so much and could not eat the entire day. I practiced my speech with my friends and had them give me critiques for hours until it was perfect.
Then I won. The Napoli’s I ate after being elected Editor-in-Chief was delicious — it has never tasted that good since.
My first year as Editor-in-Chief felt like I was always running. I never stopped, and I did everything that I wanted to do. Now, in my second-term, my biggest worry is the time after I leave.
It went by fast. I know that is a cliché, yet it is completely true. Not only did it happen so quickly, but it changed me fundamentally. I am a different person from the woman who first became a Layout Assistant and different from the woman who first became EIC.
Being a part of The Stute in this large capacity completely altered what my college experience would have been, for the better.
I mention this as a reminder to underclassmen to understand the importance of taking on a larger role in an organization. It is the best thing you can do, and you would never know until you take the chance.
My experience is not universal, but until you have taken that leap yourself, you cannot truly appreciate what it means to step up, take ownership, and grow into a role that once felt out of reach.
Four years ago, I never imagined I would be sitting here writing this editorial as Editor-in-Chief. I certainly never imagined how much this organization would shape me. You don’t have to know where an opportunity will take you to take it.
Sometimes, you just have to be willing to start.
