 "Photo: / The Advocate")
During high school, nobody thought I would ever attend college.
While my classmates were busy earning top grades, I was busy romanticizing the lifestyle of a hoodlum. School was not a priority because I had “better” things to do.
As I said goodbye to my classmates, I remember feeling a tinge of humiliation, because while I barely had enough credits to graduate, the majority of my friends were leaving for their fancy universities.
When I enrolled at Contra Costa College in 2006, I regretted being that girl who settled for less. I hated the directionless, indecisive and soft-spoken person I had become. She had no future.
For two years, I floated through general education classes and changed my major four times.
It was miserable feeling like I was wasting my time in school. I attended out of obligation to my parents, not of my own volition.
How quickly this attitude changed when I found myself sitting in first-semester journalism courses and writing for the student newspaper, The Advocate. It was a complete, unexpected turnaround.
Since fall of 2008, I have served as a staff writer, news editor and currently, the editor-in-chief for the 2009-10 academic year. In these four semesters, the student publication has become the centerpiece and greatest aspect of my life.
Covering campus and community events and on-the-spot news. Conducting interviews. Writing articles on strict deadlines. Working with fellow staff members throughout the production process every Monday. Attending college and district governance meetings.
This schedule has been hectic.
It is exhausting to even think about the countless hours I have spent in the newsroom, but I am confident that each second was well spent.
Whether working on assignments or homework for other classes, playing a game of Life with my fellow staffers or just hanging out, my favorite memories will always be linked to AA-215 because of the wonderful people that I have met.
I will miss planning and attending random “Advo-events” out on the town with the staff, smoke breaks with Lamar, talking about relationship drama with Lauren, food runs with Dariush and Erik and hearing Disney music from Asia’s laptop.
The journalism conventions were the best.
I have never felt more relaxed than when I was lounging poolside with the 2008-09 staff at the Doubletree in Sacramento and partying on Sixth Street in Austin, Texas on Halloween during nationals.
Surely, my experience on The Advocate would not have been the same without the presence of each and every person on the newspaper staff past and present, and I feel fortunate to belong to this indispensable family-like network.
With my term as editor ending and my plans of transferring to San Diego State in the fall materializing before my very eyes, I am overwhelmed with feelings of both sadness and happiness.
It is bittersweet because though I am moving on to a larger school, I cannot imagine anything better than what I have already experienced here with The Advocate.
Looking at the wall adorned with photographs of previous editors, I sometimes laugh and wonder how I got here today.
I suppose the mistakes I made in high school were necessary because sometimes the obstacles we face in life are blessings in disguise, ready to unmask themselves when least expected.
Holly Pablo is editor-in-chief of The Advocate. Contact her at hpablo.advocate@gmail.com.
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