Farewell, EC: a note from Editor-in-Chief Syeda Sameeha

Dear readers of the Elmhurst College community,

It’s very bittersweet as I write this. This is my final print edition of The Leader before I graduate this fall semester.

If you’re familiar with my journey at Elmhurst College and The Leader, you’ll know it’s been a very wild rollercoaster of a ride.

If a person had told the Sameeha who joined The Leader on her first day of college as a freshman, that she would be editor as a sophomore and then elected for a second time and have the opportunity to move the paper forward from the first redesign in 20 years to breaking important stories that shook the campus—I would not believe that person for a second.

If that person told me I would be graduating college early* in less than three years, I would also not believe it.

Being Editor-in-Chief of The Leader was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

But this growth and all of these achievements could not be possible if it weren’t for the huge support system Elmhurst College provided for me.

To Dr. Ron, who was my ultimate champion standing by my side both privately and publicly when a lot of things seemed to go south, who painstakingly went through my wordy articles and guided me to write better lede’s even after they were “shit,” as he said, who made me the journalist I am today, thank you for the bottom of my heart.

To Eric Lutz, who I didn’t really know in the beginning, but I told everyone in Ed Board that I wanted to be friends with him because he was “a real journalist,” who introduced me to digital journalism, who was there for me during stressful breaking news stories, thank you for those long talks about the industry and for being a genuinely cool person and teacher I will always look up to, not just because you’re a “real journalist.”

To all the female professors of EC who empowered me in the classroom, who inspired me to do my best, and who pushed themselves to be more than enough for their students, you have a special place in my heart—thank you.

To everyone in The Leader, from staff writers to Vicky Martin, the news editor who took me under her wing as a newbie, to all the editors I’ve had the blessing to work with, especially the current editorial board—thank you for making me a better leader.

To the people who trusted me with their stories as a journalist and allowed me to relay them to the world so change could come—thank you.

To the people who deserve the most praise and gratitude of all—Mama and Baba, who supported their daughter in every way, even as she took the unconventional path of journalism, who were listening ears to my every problem I brought home from The Leader and the biggest motivators, jazakumullahu khairun.

My time at Elmhurst College was short. But I know it will always hold a special place in my heart for forever to come.

Thank you,

Syeda Sameeha
Editor-in-Chief