Growing up, I loved the arts and I just never knew it. “Power Rangers,” “Percy Jackson” and “Spirited Away” were beacons of guidance in my life, yet I passed them off as mere fantastical escapes. I was taught the cruel reality that the only way to live out the American dream as a son of my beloved immigrant parents was to focus on only translating my studies into profit. I stepped into this university with the resolve to prepare myself for a respectable career in the sciences, whether it would lead me to medical school, pharmacy or other clinical sciences.
The year of 2020 struck me and the world with a most tragic pandemic. Just like others, I have found myself isolated and without connections, so I had a hard time connecting to other people. And having that late start in my college career, I wasn’t able to find my footing in finding myself.
So, while studying dutifully for my chemistry, biology and physics classes, I sought comfort in movies and comics; graphic novels like “Goodbye Eri” that shook my emotions or “Everything Everywhere All at Once” which raised philosophical questions.
It was when I stepped into The Highlander office that my world expanded. I found a place where I could utilize my passion for arts and entertainment to provide critical commentary and use my voice in a powerful way: in the simplest of terms, it was pretty awesome. From being a contributing writer since the 2023 winter quarter, it has been such a blessing to be able to be the Radar Editor of this publication. From trashing on the new Mario movie to covering other media that I felt should be highlighted, The Highlander has given me the voice that I was looking for and a chance to not only find myself covering important issues, but also work with others. To this day, I never thought I would be able to sit in the pits of concerts, just feet away from famous artists, or interview student DJs.
It was empowering to have an amazing team behind me who share their own passions for their coverage. I am so glad to have met people here that have inspired me and become some of my closest companions.
Throughout my years in college, if there is anything I have learned it is that dreams can come true: you just have to will it. I have always loved the arts and I have always found myself in these deep fantastical worlds — I just never found the opportunity to channel that into something valuable until I became a writer. Thank you for making this possible.
