Writing has always been a passion of mine. As an immigrant, I found joy in writing about what makes my head spin while attempting to understand English grammar. Writing has never been just an educational subject for me; it has stood as a form of expression. 

When I arrived at USC, I immediately knew that I wanted to join the Daily Trojan. I wanted to write about my community and my love for the city as a native Angeleno. Ever since submitting my application in August 2022 — which I know might make me sound “unc” — I have stayed at the paper until this semester, my last. 

Over the years, most of my pieces have had a similar scope, discussing topics like immigration advocacy, political issues in Los Angeles and University controversies. As one of the few immigrant students on campus, writing about immigration policy and University support — or lack thereof — has been both my greatest joy and also one of my biggest challenges.

Each installment felt like a conversation between my worlds: the one I came from and the one I am navigating.

My column “UndocuTales” began in Spring 2024 as a space to write about the realities my community faces. These articles have called attention to the gaps in University support, shed light on the country’s harsh immigration policy and much more. 

At times, I fear for my safety given the circumstances I write about. In an era where journalism itself feels under threat, combined with my immigration coverage as an immigrant, I never imagined my words would find not only a platform, but readership. 

Ever since the beginning of my column, I have been writing about undocumented students — a community often silenced and living under the shadows because of fear. There have been days where I wanted to pause my column due to fear and insecurity that my writing would not be welcomed in the newsroom. But this was never the case, and I thank the Daily Trojan for giving me this space.

As an immigrant student at a predominantly white institution, I never expected my perspective to be accepted, let alone celebrated. Writing about undocumented students in this environment felt risky, even isolating, at first. I questioned whether my articles were “too much” for the paper. 

Lately, my days have been filled with dread coming to campus, given the rise of immigration enforcement both around campus and around my family’s neighborhood. The fear followed me into classrooms and deadlines, often carrying stories too heavy to share. 

However, each time I submitted a new column, that fear transformed into purpose. My hope was to ensure those emotional reactions my writing hopefully provoked would drive readers to stop and think about the political state we live in.

This column gave me not just a byline but a community, so becoming Opinion editor felt like stepping into a second home. 

This newsroom is where I found my closest friends, like associate managing editor and my former co-editor Julia Ho. Prior to this role, I had no experience within the editing realm of the Daily Trojan, but nevertheless, Julia’s warm welcome and confidence has pushed me to continue. 

I will miss our collective chaos walking into the newsroom, sharing a loud “ahhhh,” and locking in for another long production night. Those small moments build a kind of friendship you rarely find — oh, and Graphic Design editor Jonathan Dinh. 

Looking back, my biggest joy throughout college has been being a part of this dedicated team. Not only have I grown as a writer and now editor, but I have been able to write about what drives me — my immigrant identity. 

My biggest hope is that I have provided a feeling of safety as well as a desire for ambition, to push for a better world through writing, to my fellow Opinion staff writers. I could only ask for them to continue writing about what they love.

Watching the Opinion staff be passionate about their topics and consistently writing about topics personal to them excites me. While I won’t be here to watch their continued growth and time at the Daily Trojan, I hope they have loved being a part of the section and continue to write about what is personally significant to them.

As I prepare to graduate, I know it will be unbearably hard to see my last column published and my final production night end. But I know this: To know me is to know my love for the paper. 

To have written “UndocuTales” at USC, as an immigrant, has taught me to carve out space in institutions not built for people like me. And for that, I will always thank the Daily Trojan for allowing me to build that space.

“Editors’ Epilogue” is a rotating column featuring a different Daily Trojan editor in each installment writing about their personal experiences. Heydy Vasquez is a senior majoring in legal studies and an Opinion editor at the Daily Trojan.