I had no idea what was in store for me on Nov. 1, 2025.

That was the day me and my colleague Izzy Siemaszko attended a mass at the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility. We were following DePaul students that were part of the Catholic Student Union for a La DePaulia story. 

We had only decided to go the day before. Everyone in the newsroom has a busy schedule, and I was unsure if anyone would be available to attend. But when I made the final call asking if anyone was interested, Izzy raised her hand and volunteered. 

I’m really grateful that she did. With reports from journalists and other civilians of federal agents throwing tear gas or shooting rubber bullets, I was nervous for our safety. There’s power in numbers, and there was no way I would have been comfortable reporting on my own. We packed safety gear, like goggles and helmets, and we worked with our mentors at The and La DePaulia to come up with a plan in case we needed to leave. 

Luckily, we didn’t need to put our safety plan into motion. The event was very peaceful; participants sang, joined hands and prayed together. Religious leaders attempted to distribute communion to those detained in the facility and were denied, resulting in an emotional moment among participants. I took photos, and Izzy interviewed folks for the story. When everything wrapped up, we sat down together and worked as quickly as we could to sort through the photos and write the piece. 

I — like many Chicagoans, I’m sure — was hesitant to attend not only this event, but any meeting near the Broadview ICE facility because of all the stories of violence. But those DePaul students were brave and went because the cause was important to them. I think I would have dropped the ball as a journalist and editor for La DePaulia if I didn’t at least try to document their attendance. 

We published the story a day later. The experience was one I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I was tired, but the sense of fulfillment was greater than anything else I felt. 

Everything the team does at La DePaulia is for community. Who are we without DePaul, Chicago or neighboring areas?

Growing up, I never had a clear idea of what I wanted to do for a career. I only knew that I wanted to serve my community in some way. I started taking journalism classes at DePaul, and everything changed for me. I had finally found a field that loved me back. 

Not only was I able to serve and connect more with the Latine communities at DePaul and in Chicago, but I found community within my peers in the DePaulia newsroom. Every person who took the time out of their lives to either tell me their stories, edit my work or give me advice changed mine. 

On May 8, Izzy and I won our first Peter Lisagor award for best community reporting in the student category for that story about DePaul students going to the Broadview ICE facility. The recognition was an honor and helped solidify something I already knew: your stories and this work matters. 

I will miss this newsroom, but I already hold the experience close to my heart. As my time as editor-in-chief of the bilingual section of our publication closes out, all I want to say is thank you. 

Thank you to Izzy, our incoming editor-in-chief. Thank you to La DePaulia’s editors and staff this year: Laura Vazquez David, Cris Salas, Tori Treviño and Analucia Lopez. Thank you to my fellow editor-in-chief, LiLi Jarvenpa and the rest of the staff at The DePaulia. Thank you to our mentor Arturo Fernandez and faculty advisor Martha Irvine. Thank you to our contributing writers. Thank you to the friends and family who dealt with me working at random hours. And, of course, thank you to our community of readers and folks willing to share a piece of their lives with us. You make us who we are.