Hello, Wildcats! Welcome to my senior farewell and final episode as host of TNH Review. If this sounds clunky over your headphones that’s because I’m writing this out to be published on our website as well. And if you’re reading this there, well, you already knew that.
I joined The New Hampshire at the beginning of my junior year because Max Scheinblum, former TNH executive editor, had encouraged me to put the skills we had acquired through our various journalism classes to good use. Before that, I had little regard for campus happenings, local happenings and student organizations in general. I was instantly welcomed and exhilarated to contribute to The New Hampshire’s (TNH) expanding horizons as we built up our digital and social media presence.
I chose to study journalism on a whim and when I was accepted to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) I had forgotten what area of study I had chosen on my Common App. I moved to New Hampshire in July of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. I could go on and on about the many moving pieces of my life that were thrown off by this but that’s a story for another day.
I was born in Massachusetts but moved to Peru at the age of six with my family and attended a British International school where I prepared for the future. My whole life I felt split between two cultures, two countries, multiple languages and all sorts of unique quirks.
My grandfather had been a journalist in Peru for most of his life, and the stories he told me about his career had fascinated me my whole life. This is first dedicated to him because he inspired me to seek the truth and advocate for a better world and because he showed me that through hard work and dedication, you can build a beautiful life.
And I couldn’t be luckier to have landed in my dad’s home state surrounded by my wonderful colleagues and friends from TNH. The opportunity to pursue my creative journalistic endeavors through TNH has been one of the best, most rewarding and most fulfilling experiences of my life.
Life generally, and the life of a journalist, is never easy and journalism is commonly regarded as one of the most regretted majors. My story would be incomplete without mentioning my concerns surrounding the state of journalism locally and at UNH. The administration and College of Liberal Arts recently decided to cut the English/Journalism major amidst budget cuts across the university.
Strong local journalism acts as a watchdog and holds community members and stakeholders accountable. I fear for the safety and comfort of the university’s student body as the strong journalistic backgrounds within it dissipate over time. I know that the spirit of the program and looking out for each other as students will remain strong despite this setback. I hope that the values and ideals that have driven us this year, such as strong advocacy, the pursuit of truth and reaching out to you, our beloved audience, in new and engaging ways persist for a long time.
Finally, thank you all for listening and supporting me throughout these months and years. I am eternally grateful to Tom Haines, Lisa Miller and the rest of the journalism staff members at the university who have guided me through it all. My colleagues and editors at The New Hampshire, there are too many of you to name here but you know who you are, for supporting my visions and ideas, and always openly collaborating with me in every way. To my family, for their unwavering belief in me, and to everyone else I’ve met over the years here. You made this kid’s dream of exploring the relatively unknown half of his heritage come true and you’ve inspired me to pursue my next dream in a country I can now call home.
