If I’ve ever been tested, this was the year.
Most of us come to college with a Superman complex without realizing how hard it is to maintain our powers. In my supernatural world, it takes 36 hours for the earth to complete one turn. That gives me just enough time to juggle pre-med classes, two jobs, studying, getting through a life-altering health scare, MCAT classes, a severe car accident and several bouts of utter hopelessness.
Oh, and a few hours of sleep.
And that is how 90 percent of my days as editor-in-chief panned out.
To my surprise, even as my physical, material, emotional and mental resources have become exhausted, I still managed to make it far enough to write this column.
Throughout the seemingly endless road of speed bumps and stop signs, I continued driving forward because the Daily Bruin ““ and the UCLA community, for that matter ““ kept me motivated.
Every time I walked into the Daily Bruin office, it was hard to face the day’s challenges without a smile. The larger the challenge, the greater the opportunities were.
OK, maybe I wasn’t exactly grinning from ear to ear when an irate reader demanded to speak to me instantly or when I had to reinforce policies to the staff far after the learning period had ended, but I suppose it wasn’t so bad.
Five years ago, I would have given up after the first few weeks of the grueling workload, but this past year proved to me that perhaps a 36-hour day does exist.
It isn’t hard work if you enjoy the process, and that is probably how the Bruin kept me motivated.
I was able to accomplish what I did because of the continual source of inspiration my colleagues have been to me.
To some of my friends, my schedule seemed crazy. To me, it was as though someone pulled together everything I enjoy ““ solving problems, learning new things, connecting with all types of personalities, communicating with frustrated sources, acting as a therapist to those who had their fill of the windowless office ““ and allowed me the powers to do them all day, every day.
The list of lessons I have learned in class, on the way to class, in the newsroom and even in the middle of the night when I was in an operating room assisting with a heart procurement is endless.
My other job is as a preservationist with the UCLA Heart and Lung Procurement Team.
Perhaps the lesson yet to be learned is the most motivational of them all: knowing there is still a vast amount of knowledge I have yet to indulge myself in learning still gives me a rush of excitement.
What I’ve experienced at The Bruin and at UCLA so far has allowed me to grow, and I’m forever indebted to those who have helped arm me with such invaluable experiences.
So though life has thrown some curve balls my way, the best I could have done was to act on my convictions. And here I am: a self-proclaimed super being morphing into a fifth-year super senior.
Riazati was the 2007-2008 editor-in-chief, 2006-2007 Science and Health editor, and 2004-2006 News reporter. She will stay a fifth year to complete a degree in biology.