A letter from the outgoing 2024-25 managing editor

Since I can remember, writing has always been my passion.

Being a bookworm from the moment I learned how to read gave me this curiosity around how stories are composed and structured to be compelling and interesting for readers, and how words could evoke deep emotions in people that had the potential to change their minds and lives. This curiosity led me to dabble in fiction writing and come up with my own worlds and characters, but as time went by, I felt something was missing. I wanted to create a bigger impact and help my community in the process. This is how I found journalism at the age of 13.

Learning what I wanted to do from such an early age allowed me to put my all into this pursuit, from joining my school’s journalism club to editing and managing my school’s magazine by my junior year of high school. These experiences continued to confirm that career path for me.

However, when I came to Canada to pursue journalism at STU and left my home country, I lost some of the confidence that I had in what I wanted to do. Doubts and insecurities started to creep in, and for the first time in years, I questioned if journalism was for me.

I was intimidated and unsure that my knack for writing would translate into English as well as it did in my mother tongue, Spanish. Because of that, my involvement with The Aquinian was not as frequent as I would have liked it to be, but in the summer, going to my junior year of university, I realized that if this was the career path I really wanted, I needed to give it my all again.

Even though I did not work with the AQ prior to this role, I was proud of the stories I wrote as a volunteer writer that year, furthermore, getting a bit more involved even inspired me to approach people and look for the opportunities I wanted, getting a freelance job and even publishing in media outlets I deeply admired.

More importantly, when I finally joined The Aquinian, all the doubts and second thoughts I once had disappeared. When we published our first round of stories, I knew this was what I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.

As Managing Editor I learned so many things; this role taught me lessons that I believe I will keep throughout my whole career. I will always see The Aquinian as a stepping stone in my career, and I’m forever grateful for all it has made possible for me, especially my CBC internship this summer, shoutout to the AQ just for that. Never in my wildest dreams I thought that I would be working my dream job, but it became possible, and all thanks to the AQ.

I truly believe that if it wasn’t for The Aquinian I don’t think I would be the journalist I’m today.

Moreover, none of this would have been possible without the amazing team we had this year. All our editors were people who loved the craft as much as Oliver and I did, and without the passion and care they have, I don’t think the exceptional stories and content we created would have been as impactful as they were. Even when we struggled with the website, deadlines or stories fell, the dedication of our staff was so pivotal for the success that we had this year, and I would not have it any other way.

Likewise, I don’t think the Aquinian would’ve been what it was without a great Editor in Chief like Oliver. Even though sometimes we didn’t agree on everything and had our friendly banters in the layout meetings, I think our leadership and editing styles meshed and balanced each other out perfectly. As someone who can get overwhelmed easily, having an Editor in Chief as calm and grounded like Oliver made the job easier, and I’m sure the rest of the team would agree with me.

Overall, I really enjoyed that Oliver and I had drastically different personalities and working styles, collaborating with him made me appreciate other perspectives and opened my mind to different ideas. I would definitely give credit to Oliver for the growth I had this year as a journalist, and because of that, I will always appreciate our time working together.

Now that our term is done, and graduation is just around the corner, I will miss The Aquinian.

However, I’m excited to see what’s the next. There was no one better to pass on the AQ than the new Editor in Chief, Fernanda Sanchez. I trust that they will continue the legacy of The Aquinian but will also transform it into something bigger and better.

In the past couple of years, journalism in Canada has been in an unstable position, especially for university publications, due to Bill C-18. Nonetheless, there's no doubt in my mind that Fernanda and Emilia will push through and do an even better job than Oliver and I did. I know they will do great things.

Finally, I want to thank all the people who helped The Aquinian this year, from our section editors Jonas, Cesar, Shannon, Fernanda, and Furzi, our staff writers Emilia and Brianna, and all our loyal volunteer writers who made publishing our stories possible and fun.

Thanks to everyone who decided to be part of the AQ this year and who made my senior year unforgettable.

Katherine Del Salto

Managing Editor 2024-25