Jay Serrano

After four years and nearly 90 issues at La Voz, it feels strange to be leaving. I never planned on being here for this long, but, having reached the end, I don’t regret a single moment.

You typically don’t spend five years at community college because things went right, and, for me, plenty went wrong. In my time here I have endured a transfer that failed at the last moment, a major health issue and a crisis of confidence that caused me to reevaluate what I want out of life.

Fortunately, La Voz was here for me to fall back on through all of them. It has given me a place to focus my efforts through the tough times, as well as the community that supported me. It is where I have made my closest friends in college and met mentors whose advice will stay with me long after I leave.

On a less personal note, I could not have asked for better job training in journalism. When I first arrived, talking with strangers terrified me. I’m still a quiet person most of the time, but I have learned to turn that off when it gets in my way.

La Voz has given me a chance to try my hand at basically every role in a newsroom too. In the last four years I have been: a reporter, opinions editor, news editor, managing editor, editor-in-chief, copy editor and finally sports editor. If I hadn’t been given the chance to try so many different roles, there is a good chance I would have quit before discovering my love of sports writing.

When I moved into covering sports, La Voz remained the perfect place for me. It gave me a chance to try, fail and learn from my mistakes. I am a far better reporter for my time here, and I can’t think of another place that could give me the same opportunity.

It’s easy to imagine what could have been if my life had gone according to plan, but, if life going according to plan meant missing out on this place, I’m glad things went how they did.

Jay will be transferring to Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo in the fall.