GROWING does not happen overnight.
Before the Varsitarian, I had been the sort of person who found comfort in routines. I had always played things safe and my first two years in college were witnesses to this.
As an incoming journalism junior plagued with doubts and insecurities, I gathered the courage to apply for a staff position in the official student publication of the University. It was the biggest risk I had ever taken.
I took my admission into the “V” as a validation of my decision to pursue a career in writing. But I quickly realized that the publication required so much more than knowing how to put words on paper.
Aside from writing skills, one must develop legwork skills to be able to produce competent stories. This, I learned, is what sets a writer and a journalist apart.
Alongside putting each edition of the paper to bed, one should also help in organizing extra-editorial activities. From inviting speakers for events to securing companies to become sponsors, a V staffer must be willing to learn and to do the grunt work.
I entered the V as a fainthearted, journalism student, who decided to give the official student publication a shot with the hope of adding an experience to her otherwise bland curriculum vitae and maybe learn a thing or two about writing from the student paper.
But it did not take long for me to outgrow my training wheels. The V forced me to set aside my fears and take on the demands of working for a student paper that has stood strong and has fostered a culture of excellence for more than nine decades.
Being a part of the V is an honor, but it also entails a lot of sacrifice. To balance my work and academic load, there were times when I had to let go of what little time I could have had left for myself.
As the end of the publication year nears, I would like to thank the people who have been with me throughout my stay in the Varsitarian.
To Professors Lito Zulueta, ir Felipe Salvosa II and Christian Esguerra, our mentors in the V, your guidance has been invaluable in shaping who I am as an aspiring journalist.
To my friends who have become my second family, I would not have survived the past two years without your constant support. Thank you for staying with me through the brunt of the work and the tiny victories. They say you build lifelong relationships with the people you go through the toughest times with. I am lucky to have gone through th e hardships with all of you.
To the Special Reports team for publication years 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019, working with you for the past two years has been my greatest learning opportunity in college and for this, I can only ever be grateful. It has been a privilege to write for the Special Reports section.
To my parents, I never would have graced the pages of the Varsitarian without your efforts to send me to UST. Thank you for your unwavering support and patience.
To the V, you trusted me before I trusted myself. I have not just become a better writer, but also a better person because of you.
