Wofford, I hope you’re doing well. I would like to take some time to introduce myself, for the first time as the editor-in-chief of this newspaper. My name is Katie and I am a senior government major and business minor from Greenville, SC.

I received the email of my offer to be the next Editor-in-chief last semester with a lot of excitement and pride. Though this job hasn’t necessarily been all that I expected it to be, I have reflected on the growth I have had allowing me to get to this position of leadership.

I began working for this newspaper my freshman year with no prior experience in journalism. I came into Wofford set on what I was going to do. I had planned on double majoring in government and Spanish, with plans of going to law school after Wofford.

Despite the fact that I had been set on these plans since I was 12, my time at Wofford has completely changed my perception of my strengths and skills. The Old Gold & Black has been instrumental in my development as a student, writer, and hopefully future employee.

As a staff writer, I grew in my ability to be collaborative and work with a team. I explored topics that interested me and wrote about campus events. I got to know more students, faculty and staff members.

I researched connections between national and global news and Wofford. I developed my understanding of what it means to be a student at a liberal arts school, writing about an expansive list of topics from artificial intelligence and its relation to higher education to impactful students promoting philanthropic causes.

I am grateful this paper believed in me and still believes in me. It has built my confidence and developed my skills.

As a managing editor, I developed in my leadership and communication, all while learning my management capabilities.

To the first-year students that attended the interest fair and contemplated if they had enough skill or talent to join an organization, don’t tell yourself that you don’t belong before you have given something a try.

Don’t be afraid to try new things, pursue what interests you and try new activities or skills that might make you uncomfortable. You never know how much you could grow in your time at Wofford.

For those that are interested in joining the newspaper staff, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. We are always looking for writers and photographers to contribute for us. Who knows, you might even end up becoming editor-in-chief too.

I often heard it said that college is the best four years of our lives. In the grand scheme of things, I don’t know how true that is. However, I think that these next four years will probably be the most formative years of our lives, if you allow them to be.

I am grateful to be signing on as editor-in-chief but I am even more grateful for the wonderful team I get to work with. Let’s get this year rolling.