For five years my Twitter bio — no, I will not call it X — read: “nerd, wannabewriter, and film & television enthusiast.” I don’t know why I was so afraid to refer to myself as a writer. Maybe it was my imposter syndrome holding me back, or maybe I feared that people wouldn’t take me seriously. I was too afraid to give myself that coveted label. 

What I didn’t know was I needed an outlet to grow as a writer, and that’s exactly what I did at The Guardian. I found a space to cultivate relationships with people who share my passion for writing about the arts & entertainment. It’s been a gratifying journey these past three years, and I’m so happy I’ve spent them with all of you. I can now officially change my bio to just “writer.” 

Thank you Hector for passing down the torch to me. Thank you Xuan for being the best co-editor I could ask for. Thank you Kaley for seeing countless movie screenings with me. And a special thank you to my high school journalism teacher Mr. Crist for pulling me out of Geometry class and asking me to join the newspaper. This one goes out to you <3

-Kamiah Johnson, A&E Co-editor