A bright and talented student has moved up the ranks of Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s award-winning print and online newspaper, The South Texan. Iliana Flores, a communication major, is now the Managing Editor of The South Texan.
In late January, Iliana Flores, walked into The South Texan newsroom, a place she feels is welcoming and offers her great opportunities to strengthen and expand her journalistic skills.
“Iliana showed her prowess for journalism very early, but more than that, she became a part of The South Texan family. While she may be soft-spoken, her thoughtfulness and work ethic speak for themselves. She joins a team of people I am proud to work with, and only escalates our family,” said C.R Neal, the Opinion Editor for the newspaper.
Flores took Newswriting in Fall 2017 where she met Nicole Morris, the faculty adviser of The South Texan. In class Flores exhibited skills, talents and attributes of a raw and talented young journalist. Morris took notice of these characteristics and quickly realized that Flores would be a great and beneficial asset to the university newspaper.
“Miss Flores immediately contributed to The South Texan upon joining the staff, moving up to the rank of Managing Editor is no surprise as she is a team player dedicated to producing quality news for the university,” Morris said.
Many of the current editors and reporters have been involved with the newspaper or the communications department for many years, and all of them appreciate and enjoy working with Flores on stories and projects.
“When Iliana first started she caught on quickly and showed herself capable of handling this type of position. I think she will be an amazing support system for Editor-in-Chief, Darcy,” said Plaserae Johnson, the current Sports Editor of The South Texan.
The Managing Editor is the work-horse and backbone of the newspaper. The position is the last stepping stone towards being Editor-in-Chief. Flores gracefully accepted the task when called upon, and looks forward to continuing her climb in leadership.
“Iliana always emanates a positive and happy attitude that makes her easy to work with at the newspaper. She has the drive to be the type of Managing Editor that is needed here. I have never worried about Iliana or her ability to meet deadlines and to turn in quality work, and I feel like I can honestly depend on her,” Ramirez said.