As the spring semester comes to a close and The Eagle faces its last day of publishing for the semester, we, the staff, would like to thank our graduating seniors for their tireless effort and commitment to The Eagle.
Throughout their college careers, juggling classes, multiple majors and minors, relationships, jobs and internships, our seniors have remained dedicated to The Eagle, making it better every day and giving younger staffers something to look up to. A commitment to The Eagle is no small thing, and our Class of 2023 seniors handled it with grace and skill.
Former Editor-in-Chief Nina Heller wrote in her own goodbye to The Eagle, as many EICs have done before, that the community at The Eagle is special. All of our 2023 seniors helped make it that way.
“Knowing there are people who are willing to do the work to make it better shows how special this place is,” Heller wrote.
Just as every graduating class does, the Class of 2023 helped make The Eagle what it is today. Congratulations to our graduating seniors. We invite you to read some of their reflections on their time at The Eagle below.
Georgina DiNardo, Life Staff Writer, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
Four years ago I applied to The Eagle as an eager, doe-eyed young freshman excited to make my mark on D.C. and take my first step in becoming a professional journalist. Little did I know that I would be sitting in my room, fiddling with my Eagle graduation cord as I tried to find the best way to approach this tearful farewell.
I’ve had a unique path at The Eagle, to say the least. I started as an opinion section writer with the intent to write whatever I felt and express my opinions in my pieces for once, however, this was not for me and I quickly transitioned to assistant copy editor. I fell in love with the copy team, which edits all the articles that come across The Eagle’s desk. As my freshman year came to a close, I applied for Managing Copy Editor, fully expecting to get rejected for being too young or lack of experience, but to my delight and surprise, I got the position. I held that position for two years, in which I helped the Copy team grow and expand, worked hard to keep The Eagle up to date on style rules and create an easy editing process for everyone else. This job, however, could not be done alone. I need to thank the wonderful Isabelle Kravis, one of my first hires as Managing Copy Editor, who has now taken over the position and is doing a better job than I ever could. I want to thank the entire Life section that has welcomed me with open arms and Kylie Bill for being an absolutely amazing Life Managing Editor. Despite already having moved on to bigger and better things, I want to thank Clare Mulroy and Spencer Nusbaum for being amazing friends and office buddies who always have my back. I also want to thank Nina Heller and all my past editors-in-chief who have dedicated their time, effort, love, tears and sweat to making this paper shine. Finally, I want to thank all the friends I’ve made on staff throughout the years who have been along for the ride through thick and thin.
The Eagle has left me with many wonderful memories, countless laughs, some great photos with Zac Efron and even a few great water polo games with fellow eaglets. I leave The Eagle as a better writer, editor, coworker and friend. While on The Eagle, there have been tough times when it’s seemed easier to just quit, but the people and my love for journalism kept me going. The thousands of stories edited and the dozens written will never compare to the memories and friendships I have made during my time at The Eagle and I can’t wait to see where everyone’s careers take them. See you all on LinkedIn!
Olivia Kozlevcar, former Life Managing Editor, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Literature
I have never really been big on being part of the news. I became a journalism major on a whim and started at The Eagle during my sophomore year as a way to make friends during the pandemic because a talkative kid in my reporting class was part of it.
Lucky for me, it worked out, as The Eagle has brought me some of my closest college friends.
Skye Witley, former Administration and Local News editor and that aforementioned talkative kid, has become one of the greatest friends I could ask for by buying into my wackiness. Clare Mulroy and Nina Heller, both former EICs, have not only been overwhelmingly kind to me when I have needed it but have also taught me all I needed to know about reporting. Spenser Hoover and Tristan Au, whom I met when we teamed up to create the District of Cinema podcast, are not only amazing people who have cared for me at my worst but were also responsible for sending me down the career path of screenwriting that I will now be embarking on at the University of Southern California. Without any of them, I don’t know if I’d be as happy with the person who I am today.
I also owe a huge thank you to the multimedia team — Carly, Izzy, Mariana and Natalie — who made my silly little projects happen. I’d also like to give a shout out to the Life staff old and new, who helped to shape both my personality and leadership skills. Hannah, Kylie, Jenna, Kendall, Sara, Bailey, Sam, Mia, Trish, Maria and so many others — thank y’all for being you. I hope our time together was truly great and that you actually never cried.
I am somewhat notorious around SOC for being the journalism student who constantly reminds everybody that she doesn’t want to be a journalist. Though my career in this field is undeniably coming to a close, I feel so grateful for the lessons it taught me about navigating community, professionalism and making a good time out of stressful situations.
Natasha LaChac, Assistant Copy Editor, Bachelor of Arts in Data Science for Political Science and Journalism
If there is one thing I regret from my undergraduate experience, it is this: I didn’t join The Eagle sooner. I came into college terrified that I wasn’t good enough to write for the paper. It took me two years to work up the courage to submit an article, and I never looked back. Everyone at The Eagle has been supportive and kind. I’ve been able to write (which I thought was my passion) and edit (which may be my true passion) knowing that the staff has my back. Thank you to everyone who made my time here unforgettable. And to anyone who wants to join The Eagle but is nervous, take the leap.
Greta Mauch, Opinion Columnist, Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Strategic Communication
I didn’t join The Eagle until the second semester of my senior year. For the first three and a half years, I only pitched one opinion piece, as a guest contributor. Then, after taking an Opinion Writing course, I was inspired to submit a couple more. In doing so, I was met with the encouragement of the Opinion section’s editors, who messaged me out of the blue on Instagram and over email saying “The Eagle is currently hiring opinion columnists. I’d love to see you apply!”
On a whim, knowing how much I loved my Opinion Writing class, I applied. I was overjoyed joining the team, and I’ve been overjoyed with every meeting and article since. Assistant Opinion Editor Jelinda Montes has been absolutely incredible to work with. Former Editor-in-Chief Nina Heller and Managing Copy Editor Isabelle Kravis have made me happy-cry with their supportive comments on my article drafts. I am unbelievably grateful for the short time I’ve worked with Editor-in-Chief Abigail Pritchard. Even before officially joining, having former Opinion Managing Editor Kayla Kelly edit an article of mine was an honor. Opinion Managing Editor Alexis Bernstein, above all, was extraordinarily helpful, and the absolute best part of my experience at The Eagle. I’ve never felt more fulfilled than with this group of wildly talented writers and editors.
Becoming an opinion columnist gave me a purpose. Where I once felt hopeless after unsettling events on campus, I am now able to channel that into my writing, feeling like I finally have some semblance of a voice. When my friends and classmates are in trouble, being a part of The Eagle makes me feel like I can actually do something. I have no doubt that my place here and the people I’ve met have completely changed the course of my career and life. I am saddened to leave, and I wish I had joined earlier, but I am so proud of this team and all the work they will continue to do.
Rebecca Oss, Online Managing Editor, Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Strategic Communication
I want to start this by saying that every time I’ve edited out an Oxford comma, I was in pain. Other than that, I’ve loved every moment of working at The Eagle. AP style grievances aside, since joining the Online team, I’ve gotten to work with amazing people having conversations about everything from strategic posting times to graphic design — and providing timely news coverage better than Barstool ever could.
Getting to seek out folks to write each week’s Eagle Explains in our newsletter has been one of my favorite parts of this position. The Online team is often separated from the rest of The Eagle because the work we do is so unique. But I’ve read powerful investigative journalism and heard about amazing behind the scenes work from folks across every team at this paper, and then we get to highlight their passionate work; while I’m going to miss working with the authors of these blurbs, I’m excited to open the newsletter next semester and read about the amazing work that folks here are going to keep doing.
Insert the “I also have so many people to thank” line here, because even though it’s cheesy, it’s name drop time. Nina Heller has been an editor, a mentor, a friend and more. Her guidance has been invaluable, on captions to my never-ending questions to rants. Eliza Schloss set me up for success and encouraged me to apply for positions with increased responsibility; I was ready to post Instagram stories when I first started, and I’ve gotten to do that and so much more in the semesters since. I’ve only gotten to work with Abigail Pritchard for a little bit, but I’m so excited to see where she takes the paper. To the current Online team: Neev Agarwal, Taraji Ellington, Aaron Russell, Sachi Carlyn Lozano, Sarah Flakus and Tiffanie Roye — thank you, not just for your diligence to disseminating reporting across platforms, but for your enthusiasm, dedication, thoughtfulness, creativity and genuine feedback. To Taraji, your graphic design skills not only far outpace my own but show your talent and interest in making our Instagram feed outstanding. To Neev, I’m excited to leave the team in your hands — don’t worry, I’ll keep opening the newsletters to keep your engagement rate high. Thank you to everyone who wrote an Eagle Explains, and thank you, finally and far too broadly, to every single reporter, editor, photographer and multimedia creator who has produced such amazing work that I’ve had the honor to read and send out.
Jenna Schwartz, Life Staff Writer, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science
My first couple years of college did not go as planned. I think a lot of college kids now would agree that the pandemic flipped everything on its head and straight into chaos. For a year, there were no in person classes, and I felt absolutely disconnected to campus. At the end of my sophomore year, I decided to join The Eagle as a Life staff writer and suddenly, I didn’t feel as lost. As a journalism major, I initially joined The Eagle so I could gain more experience in my field. But, I wanted to write about so many different things that it felt overwhelming. I finally picked up my first story: an album review of Clairo’s “Sling” and from there things just started to fall into place. With the support of my editors and everyone else on staff, I finally felt that it was okay to not know everything and just explore. The Eagle gave me the space to learn so much about myself and what I wanted to do with my life — a space that I had longed for since the beginning of college. As I am graduating soon, I’ve been really reflective over the past four years and what they’ve meant for me. With that, I’ve come to realize how essential The Eagle was in finding myself. As the Class of 2023, going to college when we did was undoubtedly challenging, but finding a community and a safe space felt possible when I became a writer, photographer, and an editor for The Eagle. If there is any advice I would give to AU students who feel a little lost, join an organization like The Eagle. I am forever grateful to have been a part of this wonderful publication and community.
