Michaela Dennis signing off

BY MICHAELA DENNIS / Executive Director

My goodbye to Texan News Service. Wow. I’m actually quite surprised I made it this far. When I joined the organization, I remember being uncomfortable all the time. There was a consistent lack of diversity and honestly articles written about diverse groups or people were more than likely written by me. I found myself constantly having to push for diversity. And not because my coworkers didn’t want to produce that kind of content, they just didn’t make an effort to include a diverse audience that was outside of their social group. 

The moment I really started to love my job was when my peers in the black community, LGBTQIA+ and Hispanic started to let me know how much they appreciated me for writing an article about them that spotlighted them. And for me, it was not just writing about “my people,” I genuinely wanted to see different stories be released by our organization. 

Being in a small town it is easy to fall into the limbo of writing the same stuff. Although we’re college students and it’s easier to do what’s convenient, I always had the most fun writing an article about a group I never interacted with. It makes it easier for me to come up with questions and make the story interesting when I have no knowledge coming into it. 

Now, I am three years into my job position. I will be graduating with the title of Executive Director. I have changed the broadcast tremendously from where it was when I was first introduced to it, to where it is now. I am so happy with the work that me and my coworkers have put into it. It looks a lot more professional and consistent. 

My final words to everyone and to future members of Texan News Service would be to stay in if you're willing to continue to push the boundaries. And that’s not to say to start writing outrageous stories that could get you in legal trouble, but don’t be afraid to change the layout of the paper like how Reese did or add new features and designs to the website like Haeley or always pitch new ideas like Copeland. 

I think that’s why I have loved my job so recently this year. Everyone truly wants to do new things. When I joined it was absolutely not like this. We stayed in our bubble and we did what was passed down to us. And not just because I worked here but Texan News Service truly is a consistent source for students to read articles or watch a broadcast about what’s happening on or around campus. I genuinely hope we never lose sight of that. 

I truly enjoyed my experience here. The crew I’m graduating with really are some good people and I truly hope that everyone continues to have a prosperous year.