To those still figuring out their next steps: A letter from the Managing Editor

Dear CSU students and writers,

It’s my final year here at Cleveland State University, and the 2025-26 school year has come and gone. I am beyond grateful to have been chosen for the role of Managing Editor this year, and to have been able to conclude my time with The Cauldron in a role that has allowed me to leave my mark on this publication.

After a semester as Features Editor and two as Arts & Entertainment Editor, I am proud to now call this publication not just my work, but my home. From section to section, writer to writer, article to article, I have grown alongside this team into a more confident editor, and gained skills that will stick with me for the rest of my life. 

Being a part of The Cauldron team has changed the way I approach my words and writing in ways I never imagined. Our team is made up of a range of perspectives from the many different colleges and programs of CSU, from film to communications to my own area of international relations and language. This dynamic led to many interesting discussions about the work we were doing and showed me that journalism can mean more than just the articles we produce; it is a platform for educating and sparking conversations that encourage self-reflection and mutual understanding.

When I started my freshman year at this school, I never would have anticipated how important journalism and writing beyond academics would become to me. Life is full of the unexpected, and the main point that I would like to share with you is that despite the endless assignments and stressful test prep, this time in our lives is also meant to help you find who you are beyond your major. 

I am happy to share that I will be pursuing my Masters in Arts Management next year. How this connects to the Linguistics, Spanish, and International Relations I studied at CSU, or the journalism and editing I have pursued in my career, may not be a clear path. However each of those stepping stones on my academic and professional journey is a reason that I ended up where I am today. 

This chapter of life is not the end-all, be-all, and as far as I know, life could lead me even somewhere else in a few years time. My time at The Cauldron has been one of the most meaningful aspects of my time at CSU, though I would not have believed it three years ago. May you find the stepping stones that lead you down your own path to find your passions, and don’t be too surprised if you one day end up where you never could have imagined. 

Farewell from the Managing Editor,

Julia