When I walked into The Slate office for the first time this semester, I sat down at our conference table. No big deal, right?

Except for the fact that I had a desk. It is an ordinary desk – other than the chalkboard that says “The Slayte” – that I have seen many times with different people having control of the corner it occupies. It is the desk of The Slate’s Managing Editor: For the first time, that title belongs to me.

When I entered the office just a few weeks ago, I had not fully grasped the fact that I am now considered Slate Management and the right-hand man to our Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Peters. I did not even consider sitting at that desk.

I was asked to apply for Managing Editor at the end of last semester due to the people skills I have developed as a Resident Assistant and Student Ambassador. As I often do, I struggled to understand how others viewed me as being qualified for the position. I was happy in my Copy-Editing corner of the world and had not considered moving into a new position for this year.

I have a strange mix of having both a very large ego and often feeling like I absolutely do not deserve praise. With The Slate, I leaned toward my shyness. I was not sure if I could handle this responsibility at first, especially because I did not know what the position would require on a day-to-day basis and accepting this position would bring my on-campus job total to four. 

I am so glad that I said yes. It has only been about two weeks, but I love the staff we are starting with this year, and I cannot wait to welcome some new friends into the mix over the coming weeks. The Slate has a culture of being incredibly supportive of anyone who feels like they don't know what they are doing. I have felt that firsthand during the start of this semester, and it has made me even more excited to lead this staff.

As I begin my third year at Ship, I am no longer sure that I will even be entering the field of Communications or Journalism that my degree says I should. I have developed a passion for Residence Life and Student Affairs, and this year in The Slate will allow me to develop leadership skills that will help me lead staffs of RAs and other professionals in the future.

If you take anything away from what I have said here, know your worth. It is normal to feel like you don’t belong wherever your ‘here’ is. Odds are that someone else in the room is feeling the exact same way. If we all fake it long enough, we are bound to make it.

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