I don’t know how to start this. Who would have thought that the scared freshman that set foot on Kyser Hall two years ago would now be the Editor-in-Chief of The Current Sauce.

Two years ago, I didn’t even know how to write an article, interview a person, edit an article and certainly did not know how to run an organization. Now, I sit in the newsroom in Kyser 227 leading a newspaper that has fostered Pulitzer writers, Hall of Famers, politicians, professors and alumni that have grown because of this paper. It feels weird to be in this position.

I don’t know how to explain it, but this paper is my saving grace. Without the interest and the stubbornness of me wanting to join two years ago I wouldn’t have realized that I wanted to be a journalist; a storyteller.

For someone who wasn’t born in the United States, I never thought I could have these types of opportunities. I’ve always felt that I’m just a number to reach diversity quotas or simply not good enough because I wasn’t born American. Yet, when I walked in the doors of the newsroom when I toured Northwestern State University of Louisiana, I felt at home.

Whether it was the energy of the staff members that I met that day, the newspapers that I read in my home country of Honduras to my grandma or the English newspapers that helped me learn the language, something made me want to be a part of this newspaper so badly.

Now, being Editor-in-Chief is not as easy as I thought. Many view The Current Sauce as not being a newspaper because of the online move it made in the fall of 2021. Others are not satisfied with the content we make and most do not know we are still here.

Leading an organization that is supposed to uphold the standards of journalism within a generation that wants entertainment over news is challenging. I definitely feel like I have to tug a rope between respected and knowledgeable professors and the student body we are trying to attract. It’s hard being a student journalist in the 21st century.

The point of expressing these thoughts is not for you to feel bad, but for you to understand that I will try my best to carry the legacy of this paper while serving the student body. I may not be perfect, but I will try to meet in the middle for all of those who still care about and support us.

The first “Letter from the Editor” I read was Trinity’s Velazquez “I’m not this paper’s saving grace because I’m a black female.” She talked about how as the first Black woman to lead the paper she felt the pressure of having to be constantly covering race issues. A Viewpoints piece so raw and beautifully written that has left an everlasting impression on me.

For me, The Current Sauce is my saving grace. It’s where I found my voice. It was the first time I ever published and wrote in my native language since I left my home. This paper gave me the passion and drive to be the best person to lead it.

I have lived in the U.S. for 11 years, and I call southern Louisiana my home too. Moving four hours away for college felt like a new journey, but I was not ready for the obstacles of starting fresh. The Current Sauce gave me something to look forward to. Every meeting I got to socialize with other writers, photographers and staff members. Every meeting meant being assigned a new story to push me to meet people around campus to interview.

The Current Sauce gave me a safe space to share my ideas and thoughts. I no longer felt like I was small (although I’m really short in person).

I may not be unique within the Editor-in-Chief line. I’m not the first woman. I’m not the first Hispanic editor. I’m probably not the first immigrant editor either.

I want my legacy within this paper to be one that introduces new ideas and new spaces for people. I want to invite diversity within our website and print editions. I want to be the editor that cares so deeply about the success of this paper that her staff is happy to work with her. I want to be the editor that listens. Not just to professors, faculty, students but you the reader.

I will not work in the shadows. I will try to be there. I will be in the community. I will be writing articles and sharing these letters. I want to be proud to represent The Current Sauce and make sure that you see how much this paper means to me.

I don’t know how to finish, but I will start by saying thank you. To the editors before me, Brianna Corley and Lora Luquet, I hope you read this and see how much both of you inspired me, and thank you for always giving me feedback and encouraging me to reach this position.

To the professors that continue to help me on a day-to-day basis, thank you. Without you I would not be able to do everything that I do. To our student media coordinator Matthew Craig, thank you for bringing me to The Current Sauce office for my tour and for being my mentor. To the other student media organizations and leaders I hope to make this year the best year for student media yet. To my staff, thank you for joining me this semester, and hopefully the whole year during this very crazy journey we’re starting.

And to you the reader, I hope you continue to read and correct us so we can be better storytellers.