I feel like I will say this every year, but where has the year gone? 2026 is approaching and I feel like the months only went by quicker.
This year was a challenging one for many. There were so many changes in the political climate and personal lives. When I look back on what I was doing a year ago, I would have never thought this is where I would be.
Mentally, I’ve grown and changed into such a different person. I often get told how surprised people are by my age — and I know for 23 years old that I have a lot more life to experience, but this year felt different. I do feel the growth mentally of becoming a woman and that alone makes me think differently.
I have always felt mature for my age but working in the field I have wanted to and creating change has really made it feel more real to me. I didn’t know if I would have a job after graduation and a year later, I am doing what I have dreamed of.
There were many changes for me within this year that I’d like to reflect on. I’m not the type of person to create new year’s resolutions but I do try to tell myself to work on improving certain things. One of those things was staying physically active. I have always enjoyed going to the gym but with my final semester at UCF, I couldn’t find time for the gym and got out of my routine.
This year, I worked on staying consistent with the gym because I wanted to build more strength for myself. I’m happy to share that I have been very dedicated and try to workout at least five days a week. There have been times where I can’t make it to the gym, but YouTube has been my best friend with free workouts at home.
I can see and feel the changes in my body. I have fallen in love with working out and push myself to be stronger. This also benefits my mental state as I find the workouts therapeutic.
I like having hobbies that allow me to release some of the stress. Another thing I have tried to continue but have been a bit on and off about is tapping into my creative side. I used to draw and paint pretty frequently and slowly I noticed it wasn’t something I was reaching for. When I do get the time to draw, it helps me turn my always-running brain off. I’m hoping to continue that into the new year.
Almost halfway into 2025, I started working with Watermark Out News, something I’m incredibly grateful for. I was on the job hunt post grad and didn’t know where I would end up working. Looking back on everything I have done in eight months is a whirlwind.
Working in journalism isn’t for the faint of heart, it requires lots of patience and dealing with many things out of your control. Working in journalism in Florida, though? Now that’s a whole different game. This year brought many challenges to the state and the LGBTQ+ community.
One of my first big stories after joining the Watermark Out News staff was the first “No Kings” protest in downtown Orlando. That is a day I will never forget as it was the biggest protest I have ever been to. I had a full-on adrenaline rush from how much I was running around trying to cover every minute. Those are some of my favorite pictures I have ever taken as you can see the raw emotion of the community looking for change.
Covering the Orlando community has been so eye opening but specifically covering the LGBTQ+ community has been a gift.
I’m so proud to look back on our coverage. We try our best to tell the stories that are often overlooked. In these challenging times, the community needs support more than ever. If you haven’t noticed there is a dark cloud above the White House, and a storm is brewing.
All the policy changes and executive orders have an impact, especially at a local level. That is why local journalism matters; we look to tell those stories and share how the community is being impacted. I hope we continue to create that change in 2026.
In this issue, we reflect on the past year of stories from Central Florida to Tampa Bay news coverage.
I hope you will continue to support Watermark Out News in the new year and trust us to be your LGBTQ+ news source.
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