From one editor to the next

I first met Amelia Wu over Zoom two days before my high school graduation. I pinned my hair up around six different ways before finally landing on a hairstyle I liked— and then quickly pulled it out as soon as I entered the Zoom waiting room. 

I was interviewing to be a news reporter for Mustang News at the time, without any prior reporting experience. She was waiting to ask me about which Bay Area high school I go to— I remember it vividly. Months later, we would think back to this conversation and laugh about it, but in the moment, I was posture checking myself every 20 seconds and remembering to smile. I quickly stopped as Amelia’s welcoming spirit immediately made me fall in love with the idea of being part of Mustang Media Group. 

Over the years, Amelia has served as my manager in every position I’ve held at Mustang News. In a way, I feel like I’ve grown alongside her, always looking to her for guidance in my next step. Her support has been integral to my growth as a journalist. 

Amelia is my mentor in many ways. She often offers take me out to coffee to finish our stressful conversations when she notices my sheepish smile is covering a stressed frenzy. She speaks my language for sure. 

One time we spent six hours in my living room watching Dancing With The Stars episodes back to back because I missed an episode and dug into a shared plate of red lentil pasta with pine nuts. It wasn’t long before this became a weekly tradition. By week three, we were rooting for the same couple, perfecting a pasta recipe and gossiping by the ‘water cooler,’ the Brita filter, in my living room. 

It was her innate ability to connect with our team as a mentor, leader but most importantly friend, that I will take with me as I step into the position of Editor In Chief next year. I am grateful for the memories, matcha and madness we shared all these years. 

Over the last four years reporting for Mustang News, you’ve had the opportunity to write powerful stories that chronicle community members in vulnerable spaces. What has been the most rewarding story you’ve written?

I was questioning whether to continue in the field when I was assigned what seemed like a routine piece about a survey on undocumented students’ mental health for a practicum class. 

What impact this assignment had wasn’t solely the subject matter itself, but the conversation I had with the researchers about their motivations. Learning about their “why” —their deep personal investment in this work—fundamentally shifted how I approach interviewing and storytelling. It reminded me that every story is really about discovering what drives people in their everyday lives.

This piece may not have been my most-viewed article or something I’d lead with in a portfolio, but it renewed my passion for journalism. It taught me that the most meaningful stories often emerge not from chasing headlines, but from genuinely understanding the human motivations behind the work we cover.

In all our training-related conversations, you always emphasized a sense of community and growth for staff members. What was your journey like growing into the role of EIC with the support of the MMG community?

“I will be in MMG for two years.” That’s what I told myself freshman year, determined to use college as a stepping stone to figure out my post-grad career path—perhaps a bit much for an 18-year-old. Unlike many incoming students I see now, I wasn’t instantly committed to the craft of journalism. But with this self-imposed deadline, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t holding anything back.

Without fully realizing it, upperclassmen—mainly seniors at the time—took me under their wing, encouraging me constantly and showing incredible patience with my scrappy writing. And to give you some perspective on just how scrappy: my first story, barely a page on Google Docs, came back with nearly 100 comments.

Less than a full quarter into MMG, I found myself face-to-face with Tessa Hughes, the EIC at the time (’21-22), who looked me dead in the eye and said, “You’re going to be the editor-in-chief. I know it.”

I laughed it off and denied this was even a possibility. It was my seventh week of college, and I had written six brief news articles total—most of them drowning in suggestions and comments. 

But I stuck with it. When the end of sophomore year rolled around, I found myself re-applying despite my original ultimatum.

The MMG community had kindled my fire for journalism, deepened my determination to serve our readers, and most importantly, built my confidence in myself and the skills I could develop. The people I worked with in this organization didn’t just convince me to stay—they made me feel valued, both for my contributions and as a friend. That sense of belonging and growth is what transformed a tentative two-year commitment into the leadership role I never imagined I’d pursue.

What is your biggest takeaway from being part of MMG?

My biggest takeaway from MMG is that it’s never too late to start something new or take a leap. Throughout my time here, I’ve pitched ambitious ideas that could have easily been dismissed, but instead they were met with matching enthusiasm from my peers. This year especially, my managing editor Matthew Ho constantly pushed me to just start—even when the timing didn’t feel perfect.

I’ve watched people join MMG at different points in their college careers and go on to produce amazing, admirable work. There’s something powerful about being in an environment where “why not?” is the default response rather than “why?”

That mindset became transformative beyond MMG. When I encountered doubt or hit roadblocks in other areas of my life, I had the confidence to push through because I’d learned that starting imperfectly is better than not starting at all. MMG taught me that the right community doesn’t just support your ideas—it amplifies your willingness to act on them.

In what ways has being part of Mustang Media Group (MMG) changed you?

This lesson has opened so many doors for me, from making new friends to opportunities in this field to simply learning new subject areas. 

“Why are you laughing? You’re always laughing when we talk,” Archana Pisupati asks me, though she’s already grinning before I can answer.

The truth is, around Archana, laughter is inevitable. For the past year, she has transformed Mustang Media Group not just through her relentless optimism and acute sense of humor, but through her ability to find joy in the chaos and absurdity of student journalism. Her laugh is infectious—the kind that cuts through the tension of a late-night editing session and reminds everyone why we fell in love with this work in the first place.

I first encountered Archana when I stepped into my first editorial leadership role as assistant news editor. Initially, she existed only as an impressive digital portfolio. But when we finally met in September 2022, she embodied everything I wasn’t as a freshman: fearlessly outgoing, unforgivingly decisive in her editorial judgment and religiously devoted to her honey lavender lattes.

What makes Archana exceptional isn’t just her confidence—it’s how she wields it to elevate everyone around her. She sees potential in people before they recognize it in themselves, then pushes them just hard enough to reach it. Under her leadership as social media manager, her team has flourished, editors have learned to trust her judgment, and Mustang Media Group has evolved from a mere publication into a place where students discover not just their writing abilities, but their capacity to lead, question, and create something meaningful together.

As Archana steps into the role of Editor in Chief, she brings with her that same fearless optimism that first caught my attention. And yes, there will probably be a few more honey lavender lattes along the way.

I’ve watched you navigate this newsroom with such passion and drive. What drew you to journalism initially, and how has that motivation evolved during your time at MMG?

My earliest experience with storytelling was when I was four. My parents enrolled me in dance lessons, which became a way to channel my creativity. As the years went on, my ‘Dear Diary’ entries shifted into long form prose and I haven’t been able to put my pen down since. Journalism was a natural extension of that desire to storytell. When I accepted my admissions offer to Cal Poly, I knew I wanted to get involved with MMG as soon as I could. I had no prior experience in reporting, besides a couple summer camps, and I already felt behind compared to candidates who were part of their high school papers.

There hasn’t been a day since I interviewed three years ago that I haven’t thought about MMG. I approached it with an open mind and excitement— and when I felt that passion veering, I would channel it into a new journalistic avenue. I tell people journalism excites me because it allows me to learn about anything I’m interested in. It doesn’t require profound interactions or theoretical analyses. It’s about connection; developing how people connect with the news is what keeps me enthralled by the industry.

A recurring theme in our conversations and why MMG is the strong sense of community you’ve found. What’s your approach to mentoring newer staff members and fostering that same sense of community you’ve experienced?

I am a firm believer in the fact that communication and delivery from a leader changes so much about how a staff member feels about a specific assignment. I define the role of a leader is to act as the safety net for their team to fall back and rely on, which I’ve felt lucky enough to have with Amelia. I felt especially nurtured and supported by staff these past three years and I cannot wait to be that person for new staff members. I’m thrilled to announce an internal mentorship program and coffee chats within the organization to strengthen connections across years and sections. MMG to me is community through connection— and I cannot wait to build that community up through my leadership.  

You’ve contributed to MMG in so many different capacities—from news writer to social media manager to producing video packages. What has been the most rewarding experience during your time here?

I learn something new every day being part of MMG. I think something a lot of newsrooms are struggling with is developing their audience team to actually get people interested in the news. This past year as social media manager, I vowed to bridge that gap between an otherwise uninterested audience and our journalists. While I’ve written about significant policy changes or campus events, my heart truly lies with post-production and being able to transform everyone’s stories into something accessible, digestible and engaging. 

What excited you most about stepping into the editor-in-chief role at MMG? 

Before MMG, I never entered a newsroom. In fact, I refused to enter my high school’s newsroom out of protest of being rejected each time I applied. (You can laugh at me for this one.) I thought this would set me back, but it was entirely the opposite. Newsroom leaders and faculty took me in and channeled my spirit into success, which I am forever grateful for. 

I still remember the exact moment I found out I would be part of MMG. I was listening to The Next Episode by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and drinking a homemade iced latte in my backyard. As the email notification that read “Congrats and Preliminary Onboarding at Mustang News” from Chloe Lovejoy peered onto the top of my phone, I screamed in unison with the beat drop, and spilled the latte all over myself – seems to be in character!