When I first joined The Daily Emerald, it was March of 2020, the month in which everything would change for the next two years. I was a sophomore, and my dad thought the Emerald would be a good stepping stone for work experience. He pushed and pushed me to apply, but I kept telling him, “They aren’t hiring right now. I’ll apply when they are.” However, this wasn’t good enough for him. After more pushing from him, I finally relented and emailed Jordan McMinn, the Engagement Desk Editor at the time, asking if there were any openings for social media. She set up an interview with me the very next day in the Emerald office. I guess I impressed her enough to hire me on the spot (thank you, Jordan).

I was excited to finally be a part of a real community at University of Oregon, as I hadn’t explored that much in my two years at UO yet. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t step foot in the Emerald office again until my senior year. COVID-19 shut down UO for two weeks. Then it was longer. Then it was a lot longer. Starting at Emerald completely virtually was a challenge –– I’m not going to lie. However, I quickly found that the people working at Emerald were extremely welcoming and kind. I had honestly never experienced such a supportive, encouraging and understanding group of people in my whole life.

Working on the engagement desk made me realize I have a passion for social media. I truly believe that social media is one of the greatest advances in today’s society. It allows nearly everyone the opportunity to access vital information at the touch of their fingers in a matter of seconds: something that was not accessible before. Working as the Social Media Graphic Designer at the Emerald has allowed me to see just how far each thing I work on can go. I’ve enjoyed the reaction those posts have and have fostered a new love for graphic design.

Thank you, Emerald, for showing me that my professional passions in life are reachable and that I can achieve these goals while working with an amazing group of people and an equally amazing organization.