You know that celebrity you’ve always dreamed of meeting? Well, that happened to me at Seton Hall. Last year, I got to interview Ross Lynch for The Setonian, and instead of me asking all the questions, he asked me one.
That day, I was wearing a chunky silver “S” necklace, which caught his eye. He asked, “Is that what your necklace stands for?” wondering if it stands for the “S” in Setonian. I laughed it off, explaining that it stands for my name. But “S” has become more than just my initial; it’s become a symbol of another part of my life that shaped me: The Setonian.
But my college journey didn’t start here. I spent my first two years at Temple University, where I met my best friends and found my voice on the features section at The Temple News.
I unexpectedly transferred to SHU in fall 2024, not knowing what would come next. With guidance from Dr. Matthew Pressman, I was encouraged to join The Setonian. I interviewed and was hired as a news copy editor.
Walking into the newsroom, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know that the people sitting around that table would become some of my closest friends. However, I did know that I wanted to leave a positive impact, especially as a legacy student. That part was never a question.
Months later, I was promoted to assistant news editor. During that time, I grew more confident and started pushing for change. I helped redesign our social media template, pitched unique story ideas and thought more about our audience. From there, I started to see positive changes in how people engaged with our publication.
I didn’t want to follow what had always been done; I wanted to challenge it and help move The Setonian into a new cycle. I also wanted to chase the untold stories, quite literally. Oh, there’s a protester on campus? Don’t worry, Sofia’s got it. Give me five minutes to run across campus, and I’ll have the story to you within a couple of hours. And it was a success.
Through all of the work and success stories, The Setonian gave me something I didn’t expect: a place to find my people. Especially Dominique Mercadante, who started as a friend and, fast forward to this year, became someone I got to work alongside as managing editor while she served as editor-in-chief.
This year, stepping into that role alongside Dominique, I got to help shape and strengthen the legacy of The Setonian in a way I never imagined. Together, we focused on building a stronger newsroom from the inside out with new hires, expanding our multimedia storytelling, and strengthening our Instagram presence since social media is a key way for people to follow news. Under our leadership, we gained over 2,000 Instagram followers, but we also got to grow as a team.
We challenged each other constantly, pushed ideas into action and rethought old norms. And in doing so, we didn’t just manage a publication; we helped it evolve.
And somewhere in all of that, I realized that silver “S” necklace meant more than I ever expected. It represents home, growth and a legacy I’ve helped shape at The Setonian through the changes I pushed.
No matter where my path takes me next, I want to keep challenging myself and others, creating impact wherever I go.
Sofia Kasbo is the Managing Editor of The Setonian. She can be reached at sofia.kasbo@student.shu.edu.
