I am so excited to start this new position. I’ve officially been promoted to the position of “Office Unc.” That being aside from Sofia Sierra, the EIC of Minero Magazine, who started the summer before me, and Kristian Hernandez, the actual Unc of the office.

As of Spring 2026, I’m the person currently on staff who has worked at The Prospector for the longest amount of time. I’ve been here for almost three years, which is decently long in terms of college student media.

The thought of that alone is crazy to me. I came in at 17 as a guest contributor in Fall 2023 and I felt like a newborn baby in the office compared to everyone else. I was the youngest and had the least experience in this sea of student-journalists at The Prospector.

Turns out I was more like Boss Baby of the office rather than a newborn.

I remember sitting alone at the corner of the conference table at my first budget, just observing how the editors ran the office. Everyone had their place in the newsroom, and they were all genuinely perfect at what they did in my eyes.

I wanted to be like them. I fell in love with the idea of learning more and challenging myself to improve, even if it was just by taking photos for my college’s newspaper.

The very first issue that I was a part of, none of my photos made it to print and my name was misspelled in the staff list. Of course, that bummed me out. On the next issue, my photo made the front cover with four other pictures of mine inside the paper. My name was spelled as “Izaiah,” but you know what… I didn’t care; I was so proud of the job that I did.

Whether it was because my photos were just that breathtaking or because the editors literally had no other options is up for debate, but it really did spark something in me.

If my class life or my depressed, lame, chud freshman life had nothing else in it to look forward to, I knew I had one thing: taking photos for The Prospector and Minero.

Oh, I was determined. When my freshman year ended, I jumped straight from a contributor to the photo editor of The Prospector in Summer 2024, got dethroned by SalmaPaola Baca in Fall 2024…rightfully so though… and instead became the photo editor at Minero and helped produce an award-winning magazine.

That next semester, I won back the title at The Prospector (I am sorry Salma) and I’ve since then held the position on lock for four semesters.

Being the photo editor is such an interesting experience. I’ve shot literally everything and anything you can think of, and I’ve had one hell of a fun time doing it. I’ve also been able to help guide such amazing photographers, and it is genuinely so sick to see each of them improve and find their footing. 

Aside from the absolute hyperaware beast (sometimes) that this position has made me with photography and editing, I think the coolest part to me is the people I’ve met along the way and the love and passion that has been shared. 

I’ve made some of the greatest friends that I greatly appreciate while working at Student Media & Publications, ranging from people who have long since graduated, people who are currently in their dream student media positions, and people who are just starting.  

Working alongside such fun people at both The Prospector and Minero who care about what they do has made everything that much better, and I am genuinely grateful for the now-friends who have been a part of this ride.  

Thanks to my family too, I’m pretty secretive with everything I do, but it’s nice hearing the support when something I do somehow makes its way back to Facebook. 

Writing these intro pieces is sort of like a diary entry to me. This is the third intro to me, and it’s the night before production and I’m barely finishing up this intro, hoping that I don’t halt Ms. editor-in-chief, Ximena Cordero’s opinion section in the morning, reflecting on what student media has been to me.  

Each intro, I’ve been at a drastically different point in life, but I think this third one is my favorite because it encapsulates my favorite semester and things in ways that only I would understand.  

It’s a weird feeling being on the other side, finally feeling like an actual sentient and flourishing person, catching myself in situations I’d daydream about. 

Iziah Moreno is the photo editor and may be reached at [email protected]