Senior Letter 2026: Mirai Abe

By Mirai Abe | May 4, 2026

When I was a freshman in Japan four years ago, I couldn't even speak English. I could barely introduce myself, and it would take me hours to write a paragraph about my favorite animal for my introduction to English language class. Back then, I would have never thought that I would be able to write news stories for a college newspaper in the U.S. And I can’t thank the Albany Student Press enough for giving me a chance to write and serve as a copy editor and then News Editor.

A few weeks after I arrived in the U.S., a few of my Japanese international friends and I went to the Block Party, hoping to join the Japanese Student Association. But instead I found the ASP booth in front of the main library, and I thought that’s the club I should be part of. I asked then Editor in Chief Vince Gasparini at the table if I could write about global news and international students, and he said he’d love to read it. The ASP has given me the freedom to write what interests me from the beginning, and it made me want to keep writing for the paper.

During my two years at the ASP, I wrote stories about international students, immigration, university news and community events, while also serving as an editor in my second year. I interviewed many students, faculty members, company representatives and community members — most of whom I would never have had the chance to talk to if I weren’t writing for the ASP. Being able to listen to their thoughts, experiences, and sometimes life stories was my greatest  joy and privilege. 

As much as I enjoyed reporting, it was not always exciting or rewarding. I was ignored and rejected more often than not as a student reporter — which might have been understandable in the age of anti-media — and I often found myself writing at 2 a.m. or spending entire weekends writing and editing. Attending campus and community meetings and events while being a full-time student was also physically tough. I once woke up to countless emails from my ASP colleagues and journalism professors and rushed to a downtown dorm building where a fire had occurred the night before, only to be turned away by the residential staff. I was busy, but looking back on it right before graduation, it was truly fulfilling.

I couldn’t have done all of this without the help and support of the ASP staff. They all have been kind and patient with me, and I deeply appreciate their hard work, commitment and contributions. I am particularly grateful to Lucie Burns. She did an amazing job leading the ASP as Editor in Chief, and I was honored to work with her. She is one of the sweetest and most hardworking people I have ever worked with, and I’m excited to see the ASP continues to grow under her leadership. I also want to thank our faculty advisor Mike Huber. He has been incredibly generous and supportive of my work, and I was very lucky to have him as our advisor. He also helped us with recruitment and communication, and the ASP made it through this semester because of him. I’m grateful for all the help and advice he has given us, and for being someone we could always talk to.

And though she was not technically part of the ASP, I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Journalism Program Director Laney Salisbury. I started working with her as her student last year, and I have grown so much as a journalism student and reporter since then. She must have had many other responsibilities and commitments as program director, but she was always available to answer my questions and listen to my concerns. I would have never been able to serve as News Editor if she hadn’t taught me journalism. Thank you so much for your support and guidance. 

Local journalism is slowly disappearing. But local news is not only a source of information but also infrastructure and community. The people, events and local government that local papers cover are directly connected to community members’ lives, and this coverage helps keep democracy alive. 

If I were to give advice to future ASP writers, I would say: “Be curious and listen.” The UAlbany community might seem small, but if you look around and listen, there are so many interesting people, and everyone has a story to tell. 

I also want to mention journalism and AI. Reporting cannot be done by AI. AI can write, but without meeting and talking to people, it will have nothing meaningful to write about. Reporting involves building trust with sources as well as being compassionate and ethical. Even in this AI era, we still need reporters because people wouldn’t trust a machine to share their concerns, ideas and stories. 

I am forever grateful to the Albany Student Press for giving me an opportunity to write, listen to people’s stories and contribute to the campus community. I hope the ASP keeps serving as a place where students can discover their passion for journalism, just as I did. 

In gratitude, 

Mirai Abe

News Editor (Spring 2026)

Copy Editor (Fall 2025)

Staff Writer (Fall 2024)