The Collegian says goodbye to senior staff

It is a time of ending and beginning. We are sad to leave The Collegian behind, but just as graduating staff is finding new opportunity in their next stage of life, a new group of staff members will be taking over to carry on the good work and dedication. We are so excited to see what The Collegian will accomplish next.

Hope Smith, editor-in-chief

Gratitude does not begin to explain what I feel thinking about how I found my passion for journalism simply by stepping foot in The Collegian newsroom. It is a whirlwind of excitement as it swings the door of possibilities wide open. There is so much respect and pride I have come to find in student media that I hope to carry into professional media.

I have had the pleasure of meeting people from all walks of life and tell their stories. I have dove headfirst into investigations and come back out waving it high above my head to spread the news. Most of all, I have been given the opportunity to lead this incredible, successful staff of dedicated students each production week.

If it were not for the time I have spent at The Collegian, I would not have been able to walk away with the life experience I have, the admirable friends I made and the knowledge I possess.

Nina Banks, managing editor

Goodbyes are hard — but this one isn’t. My two years at The Collegian have gone by alarmingly fast. In those two years, I’ve gotten into a car accident, spent far too much money on Chick-fil-A, hosted an award-winning podcast and met people who I am confident will be lifelong friends. Community college isn’t the first choice for many — myself included. She’s like that one childhood best friend you didn’t realize you were in love with until she got contacts and took her hair out that ponytail.

TCC has given me opportunities that I would’ve never gotten until my junior or senior year at a four-year university. To say I’m thankful is an understatement. Like Nietzsche probably said, “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Alex Hoben, multi-media editor

This is an end of an era for me, I have spent the last three some odd years dedicated to The Collegian. I have loved every second of it. I never thought that I could take my love of photography and mix it with my burning need to ask questions, but here I am. I’ve worn a lot of hats during my time here including photo editor, designer and even editor-in-chief, and I’ve learned countless things that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I would’ve never entered the world of journalism if not for the advisers of The Collegian, specifically Stacy Luecker and Chris Whitley. If there’s one piece of advice I have, it’s to love your work and to fight for what you believe in. A journalist is only as good as their need to find the truth, and a photojournalist dedicates themselves to finding what’s beyond their lens.

Ryan Cutrer, videographer

I have such a passion for news, whether it’s the production, writing or design side, it doesn’t matter. My favorite part of being with The Collegian was covering the Total Solar Eclipse. I was able to work with Fousia Abdullahi who did an excellent job reporting on the NE Campus event.

The biggest thing I learned from my experience with The Collegian is that interest in journalism and news production is not slowing down. As I got more interested in it, it seemed like people in the industry were pivoting away from the news. After working with The Collegian, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m so grateful to everyone at the paper for seeing me and giving me this amazing opportunity.

While it was a busy semester for me being that I was a producer, director, and photographer for The NewsFeed on top of being a multimedia editor for The Collegian, I could not think of a better way to spend my time.

Olla Mokhtar, campus editor

I always wanted something that was mine and unfortunately for me and my heavily STEM involved family that was almost impossible. With my parents being immigrants, they instilled in me to always lean on the stability that STEM offered. Venturing off that path was never the plan, but I’m glad it was the destination.

The Collegian offered me something that I could trully call mine. And while this sounds overdramatic, I’m an immigrant’s daughter so it means a lot to me. I had to stand behind myself and ensure that I had the guts to be in this profession, prove it to myself and the people around me which I haven’t been able to do before as I’m the youngest of six children.

Christopher Whitley and Lori Dann have been a paramount part of this so to the future staff remember that.

Xavier Boatner, campus editor

Tarrant County College was a place I intended on going to since early high school. However, one thing I didn’t account for was becoming a world-class, top-of-the line professional journalist. Hyperbole aside, it really was something I never expected. Since 2022, I’ve met and worked with some incredible people that have consistently been so much fun to be around.

It has been one of the most memorable experiences for me in a hot minute and while not every moment was super eventful or particularly memorable, the moments that stick out outweigh the dull, slower moments. Being a contributor on this staff has been a great learning experience.

I’ve learned things on the job that have helped me recognize and understand other people’s opinions and viewpoints. I’ve learned things that have helped me understand myself and my strengths and weaknesses in writing. And most important of all, I’ve learned that Oxford commas are the worst – forever and always.

Keyla Holmes, campus editor

If it weren’t for an unexpected conversation with a previous staff member, I may have never been a Campus Editor for The Collegian. I wasn’t thrilled to be at TCC my first semester, but the people I met in the newsroom quickly changed my outlook and made my experience at the college memorable.

Working at The Collegian gave me the opportunity to practice getting out of my comfort zone and on how to manage my time more efficiently. I got to go on cool trips that put me in rooms with journalists I could learn from and network with. Despite the fact that production days for the paper are stressful, I’m going to miss brainstorming with all of the writers and designers for our outline meetings. Over the span of 2 years, the newsroom became a safe space on NE campus.

I hate the idea of potentially being corny, but I really have made lifelong friends at The Collegian. I strongly advise anyone who’s interested in joining to go ahead and apply. You never know. It might just be exactly what you’re looking for.