As a Salt Lake Community College transfer student, it was scary to start college all over again at the University of Utah almost two years ago. It felt like stepping into the unknown, again. How was I going to make friends, especially as a junior? Were my classes going to be harder? Could I handle another two years of college? Where was I going to park and how much would it cost? Amidst these swirling questions, one thing was certain: I had to work for the student newspaper, the Daily Utah Chronicle. There’s no better hands-on experience for a journalism major — something I learned at SLCC, where I worked as their student newspaper’s Assistant Editor.
Although I had high expectations, nothing could’ve prepared me for how meaningful working at the Chrony would be. Being Assistant News Editor and then Online Managing Editor has shaped my college experience, opening up doors to meet so many wonderful, supportive, hardworking and passionate people. On top of that, the practical experience I’ve gotten set the groundwork to receive several professional journalism opportunities I would’ve never dreamed of getting this early in my career.
During my first year at the Chrony, I co-led a news desk of around seven people with editor Carly Coombs — editing 3-5 stories a week, helping writers grow, being a part of a leadership team and writing stories of my own every so often. Immediately, working at the Chrony felt right. It’s been exhilarating to be involved in creating and editing stories about topics, events and people that matter to the campus community because it has always felt like we are contributing knowledge to staff, faculty and students at the U, even if it’s in a small way.
The student media office quickly became a comfortable place I could rely on to work on stories, do my homework and get to know the countless amazing people at the Chrony. When I think about the friends and acquaintances I’ve made at the U, there are barely any that I didn’t meet through the newspaper. It made me feel like I belonged at the university as a transfer student.
In my second year, I became the Online Managing Editor. In this position, I helped manage our website, provided feedback to editors, worked with senior leadership to make the Chrony the best newspaper we could and personally published more than 850 stories since May 2023. I loved being OME because I got to read through all of the amazing work our contributors created, including breaking news, movie and music reviews, sporting events, hot-button topics, events happening around campus and in the community, and everything else that is helpful, important or interesting to our readers.
Over the last two years, I’ve learned a lot through obtaining my bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism (and writing and rhetoric studies), but at the U, nothing has taught me more about how to be a journalist than the Chrony. That hands-on practice of being a part of a newsroom, experimenting with writing stories that matter to the campus community and being a leader to others is priceless. Though I had some experience with writing and editing before, the Chrony has empowered me to grow into a more confident reporter, writer, interviewer and communicator. These skills and experiences allowed me to get amazing opportunities, like working as an intern for KUER and The Salt Lake Tribune. I couldn’t have gotten them without the Chrony.
Whatever publication I write for next, I’ll always think fondly of the 30+ stories I wrote for the Chrony. It’s impossible to categorize them into one or two beats — I’m interested in a lot of topics and I pretty much got to cover all of them, including parking on campus, affordable housing, campus happenings, breaking news, U studies, protests, political events and features.
As I say goodbye to the Chrony, I do so with a mix of nostalgia for the memories of these past two years and excitement for the future that this newspaper has prepared me for. Thank you to the Chrony for the opportunity to grow as a reporter and as a person; for the friendships, the laughs, the lessons and the camaraderie.
Though I’m sincerely sad to leave a place that has given me so much, it makes me happy to think about all of the people who have come before me and who will come after me will reap the same benefits I did from this life-changing experience.
