People always say that your four years in college go by in the blink of an eye. I always thought that to be cliche but with my college experience coming to a close, that statement could not be any more true. It seemed like yesterday when the world shut down because of COVID-19 and my high school career was suddenly cut short. I was left with many questions about how my college experience would turn out and if I could live out my college life. I was finally able to step foot onto UCR campus during my second year, and just like that, my college experience started.
As fast as it started, it has all ended just as fast. However, I can safely say that I lived my college life with no regrets, and I am extremely grateful for all the people that I have met during my time at UC Riverside and at The Highlander. I’m thankful that The Highlander accepted me to be a part of the team even though I had no prior experience in journalism and just wanted to pursue my passion for sports. I’m grateful to the previous Sports Editor, Kevin Contreras, for allowing me to write for sports, and handing me the reins to become his successor as the next Sports Editor. I’m also extremely grateful for all the previous and current members of The Highlander. Every one of you guys made my experience here at The Highlander an enjoyable and memorable one. Finally, I’m extremely thankful for my Assistant Sports Editor, Kia Nooshi. Without Kia’s support, I would not have been able to run the sports section as efficiently and it would not be where it is today without him.
Looking back from when I joined The Highlander to where it is now, I’m so proud of how far The Highlander has come. I could not be happier about the state of the sports section. When I joined, it was just me and Kevin grinding out articles every week, trying to keep the section afloat. Now, we have sports writers every week and the section is slowly starting to grow. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done for the sports section, but I have no doubt that our successors will continue to build on the foundation that me and Kia have built for the section.
Without The Highlander, I would not be where I am today. My passion for sports would not be fostered if it weren’t for The Highlander giving me opportunities to succeed in sports journalism here at UCR. Not only has it given me the opportunity to grow my skills and experience in sports journalism, but it has also allowed me to teach younger students about sports journalism and give advice about the process. I’ll forever be grateful for all the memories I have created with everyone at The Highlander, and I’ll use the skills and experience from The Highlander to make you all proud in the future.
