LETTER TO KAYLIN
The first time I really interacted with Kaylin was in a five-hour car ride to Sacramento. It was the two of us, her diet coke, an oat lavender latte I sheepishly asked her about picking up and an immediate spark after queueing “Roses” by the Chainsmokers in her Spotify Jam.
I remember telling a rather absurd story within the first hour of the ride, fully aware of how her reaction could affect the next four.
She sat there, listened, giggled and said, “Wait, tell me more!” And the rest was history.
Around Kaylin, a sense of security is automatic. Whether it was our particularly niche shared experiences like being impeached as mock trial witnesses, or our less controversial but very online analysis of “Heated Rivalry,” I realized the conversation never ended because around Kaylin, nothing ever feels too weird, dramatic or too specific to say out loud.
She has this acute sense of empathy disguised as humor, which lets her make even the most outlandish tangents feel worthy of a full discussion. You’ll be midway through a ridiculous tangent before realizing she’s actually been listening more carefully than anyone in the room.
Kaylin’s open-mindedness is what makes her such a natural leader. In early January, she stepped into the inaugural California government editor position which felt inevitable. This meant new horizons for our newsroom, building a foundation without prior direction and an entirely new kind of responsibility, on top of already being an assistant news editor.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch her grow through the newsroom this year. Every step of the way, I think back to that car ride which was a perfect introduction of who she is: curious, adaptable and somehow able to make the most chaotic situations feel exciting. I’m beyond thrilled for Kaylin’s Mustang Media Group — and you should be too.
LETTER TO ARCHANA
For my first year and a half with Mustang Media Group, Archana was some transcendent being, always running around in flowing, colorful skirts with a smile beaming on her face. The three-syllabled “Archana” held the same force as the one-named icons of the world: Cher, Beyoncé and her ever so favorite SZA.
However, Archana became just Arch when we were trapped in a car together for five hours on the way to Sacramento. A few days prior, she asked me if I liked coffee, to which I responded no. “Tea?” “No. I drink Diet Coke if I absolutely need caffeine.”
It dawned on me a few moments later while I interpreted Arch’s questions as an evening Q&A, it was really her sly way of begging for a pit stop at Scout. The trip started with a coffee and a few pastries and ended with us knowing each other like the backs of our hands.
Arch is kind, intelligent, innovative and the most creative person I have ever met, and I have spent every day of the past few months trying to learn everything I possibly can from her.
In my attempts to do so, I have walked into the newsroom daily and asked Arch my slate of questions — “What did you do, what are you doing and what are you going to do?” — to learn more about her day-to-day life as the people’s princess. But more importantly, I’m doing so with the hope of collecting enough knowledge to answer the all encompassing question — “What would Arch do?” — in a few months, when I know I need it most.
If I am half of the leader Arch is, then I will be proud. I know I have big (and fashionable) shoes to fill, and although I likely will not take her love for coffee with me, I will always remember to ask myself, “What would Arch do?”
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