Editor-in-Chief Isabelle Mascary Says Farewell
By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief
Who would have thought that a Haitian woman by the name of Isabelle Mascary from Dorchester would one day be editor-in-chief for her school newspaper? Definitely not me. I never thought of myself in a high regard, but my work speaks for itself.
I’ve been writing since the 6th grade. My first poetic piece was called, “The World.” This piece was derived from a song I wrote, hoping to start a girl group. I digress; the assignment was a creative writing piece and it was entered into a contest by my teacher at the time, and the winners would have their piece published. As excited as I was, my parents didn’t share the excitement. I was always told a writing career is not a career because there is no money in it and I should focus on a more financially rewarding career such as an attorney, doctor, surgeon, psychology, or even nursing.
One person that always believed in me and my dreams was my uncle, Baby. He used to tell me, “Whatever you want to become, I believe in you.” He was murdered a few months shy of my sixteenth birthday by the mother of his child. I will admit, he was my shield. When things went wrong, he helped me find comfort and strength in the gray areas of uncertainty. He was the one who introduced me to the art of rap and mainly Tupac. That’s when I began to develop my rhyming patterns even more.
After the passing of my little brother, my mother, siblings, and I decided to make the best of the move to Gardner. I enrolled at the Mount in 2008 as a nursing student. It didn’t come as a surprise to me that not many white people were welcoming of black and brown people. I remember walking to school when a car drove by, and the person yelled, ‘Get out of Gardner, nigger!’ Instead of reacting negatively, the voice in my head said, ‘You belong here. Don’t allow yourself to be defeated.’
I have learned throughout these years that if you’re doing something out of passion, it will align with your happiness. There I was brand new to creative writing class, sitting away from everyone else because I was shy and thought my work wasn’t good enough. I would hear everyone else’s pieces and then close my book. It wasn’t until I received feedback from Professor Valois on my first portfolio. She wrote, “You have powerful stories to tell. The world needs your stories.” That was the spark I needed.
After taking that class, I decided to change my major to professional writing in the fall of 2021. Journalism was never a thought, but I figured I would try the class and see how it goes. I won’t lie: I disliked it at first. Considering the fact that I’m more of a storyteller, it was hard for me to grasp the idea of journalistic writing. It’s short, precise, and straight to the point. With guidance from Professor Goldstein, I was able to learn my style of writing. I never fully understood the strength of my written words until I found myself immersed in these two courses. It helped reignite the flames behind my passion.
Although journalism was a challenge for me in the beginning, I made great strides within the field to the point where I met Professor Fuller, the advisor for the Mount Observer, and became an assistant editor while taking Journalism II. My most memorable piece as the assistant editor was “Remembering Megan Bower” because I was able to keep her story alive.
As a single mother of five, I hesitated to accept the editor-in-chief position offered to me towards the end of the semester. Despite the hurdles, I refused to give up and stepped into the role at the start of the spring semester. Reflecting on my journey, I am honored to have been part of the Observer, an essential platform for MWCC students to voice their thoughts, gain skills, and stay informed. I wish I could stay longer.
It’s amazing to have witnessed and be a part of the hard work, dedication and determination that every single contributor provided this semester. In my opinion, our greatest accomplishment this semester is the Friends of Fitchburg Abolitionist Park magazine. My journey with the Friends of Fitchburg Abolitionist Park began in 2022, and I thank Katie Fuller for bringing it to my attention.
It’s like planting a seed and watching it grow. Between the interviews, weekly meetings, gathering vital information and everything else involved, the experience was amazing. I learned the rich history that Fitchburg has and that this project was student driven. It made me proud to be a resident of Fitchburg. I met a lot of great people and hopefully will keep these connections. That solidified my decision to continue with journalism and creative writing. My experience as Editor in chief placed me where I needed to be.
Every semester comes with new faces, new classes, a different environment but also new problems worth being explored and challenged. The Observer is student driven, and to me it’s the heart of MWCC because it gives students an opportunity to have their voices heard. Your voice matters. How else do you think change occurs?
I will be graduating in less than 2 weeks, and as I sit here in my bedroom reflecting on my journey, I am amazed at my growth, but I do owe a lot of that to the Observer along with my professors. Most importantly, my children can search my name online and find my work.
It was great to be working closely with our amazing assistant editor for this semester: Elysian Alder; our contributing editor: Kai Johnson; our awesome advisor: Katie Fuller, and our wonderful graphic designer: Tom Hill. With our talented and gifted writer Elys taking over as editor-in-chief in the fall, I know for a fact the student newspaper will be in great hands.
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