For the first time in Record history, three Latina women have held semester-long executive positions. Our leadership is a reflection of the Goshen College student body today. 

Concluding our time as editors, we wanted to share our reflections with you all — our triumphs, our hardships and mistakes. We only hope that you read carefully, with an open heart and mind. 

Eliza Alemán: 

Growing up with a mother who worked in the nonprofit sector, I learned how to engage with the public at a young age. My mother knew this was a slippery slope. While I learned to listen and sit quietly, my attentiveness and people pleasing demeanor was subject to exploitation. 

“State your case and stand your ground,” she would say. Being an executive has put her advice to the test. 

I have experienced severe imposter syndrome this semester. I was not officially trained in journalistic best practices until last semester, and up until now, I never doubted my ability to manage a team. 

I write and work from the heart. I get riled up and call out unfair treatment, and sometimes I cry editing opinion articles and feature stories if I think too hard about the writers and the interviewees. I perceived these moments as weaknesses, but after some reflection, they were really just reminders of my humanity throughout exhaustive repetition. 

The Record requires the work of many, and it requires good, grounded leaders.   

Upon making mistakes, doubting decisions I had made in a bind and losing sleep after layout night, I regularly forgot that someone chose us to lead this team. 

Our leadership is not incidental, we have earned it, just like everyone before us and everyone after us. Keep writing, pitching story ideas and reading The Record. 

Aaliah Higareda:

As we wrap up this semester with our last issue, I can’t help but feel proud of everyone who has contributed to any issue during our leadership. Thank you for trusting us to publish your words and creativity with the Goshen community. 

With the ongoing threats against freedom of speech under the Trump Administration, it’s understandable to be wary of what you’d want published under your name as it could lead to future consequences you didn’t expect to face. 

But know that your voice matters and it’s important to speak up for others who are in your position. After publishing our first issue I was nervous of the feedback I’d hear from my editorial, but instead I received messages from my peers, thanking me for writing my piece, how much it meant to them and how they could relate to my feelings and thoughts. 

Taking the step to publish your work is daunting but at the end you are leaving a trace of yourself within history for others to look back on and acknowledge your existence. 

Mafe Aguilar Vargas:

When I considered applying for The Record, it was during a time of uncertainty because of the major threats of deportation in my community. I was intrigued when I heard that The Record was going to make an illustration that could spread more fear and attract unwanted attention to campus.

When we got accepted into these executive roles, I was told to just brush off back-handed comments and ignore “Record drama.” However, this was more than just that; we’re in a time when everyone is affected by the same thing in different ways, yet what others can think of is to spread hate still? Saying they root for peace while at the same time questioning our decisions based on our skin color and not as people.

We proved this semester that we are capable of having good or better results. I’m glad that throughout this semester, we were able to achieve one of our biggest goals to include diverse voices to offer the campus community fresh and unseen perspectives we might not otherwise think about. I’m thankful for our hardworking team and for those who are excited to receive the paper every Thursday morning.