Daily Wildcat senior editors reflect on their time at the UA and the student newspaper

BY KATE EWING @mariakewing

My whole life I’ve been in a rush. I always like to get things over with, ready to put the past far, far behind me. But then I came to the Daily Wildcat, and suddenly, it made sense why people have a love/hate relationship with graduating. Nothing has made me come rushing to a halt quite like the realization I finally have something that’s hard to part ways with.

I love my Daily Wildcat team, which at this point, I consider as close as family. Serving the University of Arizona community as a news reporter/editor/ photographer/social media and training coordinator here in the newsroom I love has been the greatest joy of my college life.

I really hope every person gets the chance to find a place where they belong like I have within this newsroom. It’s important for me to say, I got lucky. I never intended for my college journey to pan out the way it has, but it’s clear to me now that every extra minute I’ve spent enrolled at the UA was an extra minute I’ll cherish with Wildcat staff making content I’m proud of.

The people I work alongside are amazing, talented individuals who make me believe journalism is a worthwhile pursuit. The laughter shared during one of many days at my desk is irreplaceable and I’m so incredibly grateful I took a risk and sent in that application. So thank you to everyone who makes closing this chapter so bittersweet, I’m in no rush to say goodbye for once.

— Kate Ewing, Training Cordinator

BY TEREZA RASCON @rascon_writer

Being a part of the Daily Wildcat has changed my life for the better. My first two years of college, I felt like I was floating in the wind, just going through life with no passion or clear idea of what I wanted to do in my life. This isolating feeling was exacerbated when the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on hold, especially for college students alike.

But through this isolation, it allowed me to reflect on what I was truly passionate about, what brought joy to my life, and that was English. I loved to write, I loved to edit and I had put these passions in the backburner in hopes of pursing an education that was profitable. When I changed my major from Finance to English, it was terrifying, but the Daily Wildcat helped me get my grounding and I made amazing connections along the way. I started out as a Copy Editor and now will be ending this chapter of my life as the Copy Chief.

I am definitely going to miss the Wildcat. I’ll miss spending endless hours in the newsroom, talking with my colleagues about classes and life. I have learned so much from my fellow Wildcats and I am just so thankful to have found a community that is so open-hearted and passionate. I hope future students get the chance to experience the same welcoming and inspiring feeling that being a part of the Wildcat has instilled in me.

— Tereza Rascon, Copy Editor

BY RYAN WOHL @ryan__wohl

During my four years at Arizona, joining the Daily Wildcat in August of 2020 was the best decision that I made. From starting as a reporter on the sports desk to being the sports editor I gained valuable experience in many different areas that will help me in the future. I am very thankful for the Daily Wildcat for all of the opportunities that it has provided me across my three years at the newspaper.

I will miss my time at the Wildcat, but I now have experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Coming into Arizona, all I wanted to do was to cover Arizona sports and I am forever grateful for the Daily Wildcat giving me my first opportunity to do so.

— Ryan Wohl, Sports Editor

BY JOHN KONRAD @vomit_party

BY TIA STEPHENS @tia_stephens_

I found the Wildcat in my second year at Arizona. I started as an Arts and Life reporter during the pandemic and immediately felt welcomed in. During that isolating time I found a sense of community in the virtual newsroom. I became the Photo Editor in my second year and knew I had really found my place. The Photo Desk had been shut down since March 2020 and I got the chance to start back up the vital visual sector of our student paper. Each interaction I have with my peers here has felt like a gift. Seeing those around me so passionate about upholding the ideals of journalism gives me so much hope. I’ve had the opportunity to be inspired by my photographers and fellow editors alike and I feel so lucky to have been a part of such a prolific collegiate newspaper.

— Tia Stephens, Photo & Multimedia Editor

It’s a testament to the flexibility and accessibility of student media that I was able to waltz into the Daily Wildcat newsroom with my silly bird doodles and leave two years later as the founding editor of a new desk. That’s something that just doesn’t happen in the increasingly opaque world of publishing, where platforms are hard to come by and creative expression is conditional.

The 2023 graduating class has gotten a raw deal between a global pandemic, persistent institutional failures and personal hardships, but despite all that, there are still passionate and driven students showing up every day to produce great work for the campus community. I’m grateful to have stumbled into the world of student journalism, and honored to call the Daily Wildcat staff my peers and friends.

— John Konrad, Comics Editor